Sound of Madness
by CP Nightshade
Summary: Caught adding new weapons to her arsenal, Persephone Jackson is apprehended by the mortal agency of S.H.I.E.L.D. Her first thought is to protect the secret of demigods, but recent betrayals and a solo trip through Tartarus have left scars too deep for mortal eyes to see. Will she protect the secret of the demigods, or will she shine a light on them for all to see? Fem!Percy
1. Chapter 1

"Tasha, you there?" Clint Barton's voice sounded through the comm piece placed strategically in Agent Natasha Romanoff's ear. The red haired woman was on the lower floor of an abandoned warehouse not far from the outskirts of Manhattan. While both her and Clint worked partly for the Avengers, they still received individual or joint assignments from the higher level shield, and this was one of them.

Currently, Natasha and Clint were staked out waiting for a high value smuggler to hand deliver a package to some random high price buyer. They expected it to be a simple infiltrate, find the location, and take in both the buyer and the dealer. Now, both were in edge considering it took an overly high amount of effort to even find out the date, much less the location.

Reaching up, Natasha activated her earpiece brushing aside some loose strands of her red hair. "I got nothing on either of the two, its a ghost town down here." And indeed it was, the lights were turned off and the musty smell of mold permeated throughout the room. The room's eerie pitch was amplified by the sounds of a train running past, making the old steel framing rattle and shake like that of an old man's.

Static sounded in Natasha's ear before Clint spoke again, "We got movement at both the east and west end." Right as he said that, the lights turned on inundating the warehouse in industrial white light. "Primary target is at the east end, buyer seems to be at the west entrance."

"Copy," Natasha shifted around the edge of an old box, gaining a hidden view of the center of the warehouse. "Waiting for evidence that the material is here, will attempt to identify before engaging."

The smuggler, who wore a simple suit coat and slacks carried a small suit case. He had short, blonde hair and a slightly crooked nose, as if it had been broken and reset just one too many times. His jacket was black, contrasting with his red undershirt. His slacks matched his jacket, allowing him to personify the underworld business man role perfectly. His case was sleek and silver, with a keyhole underneath the handle.

Natasha switched her glance to the buyer, who was now walking towards the dealer maybe forty, fifty feet away. She, Natasha quickly figured out it was indeed a _she_, wore a simple black hoodie and dark blue jeans. Black hair spilled out from under the hood, but the rest of her face was covered. She carried a black duffle bag in her right hand.

"Glad to see you again Nathan," the hidden girl said, her voice sounding young, yet experienced. It reminded Natasha of the veterans she'd talk to at S.H.I.E.L.D. base. "I take it you recovered what I asked."

The man grinned, moving forwards with his case. "Good to see you too, and you know I've always been on call for your people." He stood at a courteous length from the girl, who still remained an enigma to Natasha. "Here, I'm the only one to come into contact with it when we grabbed it from the battlefield."

The man brought key from his pocket and inserted it into the keyhole. Once opened, he drew out a long, black staff. He gave it a quick spin before handing the rod to the girl. The staff itself was about five feet long, and appeared to be perfectly smooth. The ends were rounded off, yet Natasha knew the with proper training that weapon could prove to be problematic if she had to confront the girl.

The girl took the staff, and in exchange handed the smuggler the bag which he promptly opened. He surveyed its contents, before closing it with a satisfied grin. "Pleasure doing business with you again," the man offered his hand which the woman shook in mutual agreement.

"The pleasure is mine, and now, if you can forgive me we seem to have unwanted guests." Natasha was momentarily shocked. How could this girl know that Clint and her were in the warehouse. "I'll do you a favor and get you out of here, take care Nathan."

And with that, the lights flashed out. Natasha moved quickly towards the spot she saw them last, attempting to find their silhouettes in the dimly lit room. She looked around, becoming as frantic as an agent could allow but could not make out a single thing. She was about to radio Clint when the lights turned back on.

Standing in front of her stood the girl, her hood pulled back allowing her shoulder length black hair to show. Her face was tan, showing high amounts of exposure to the sun. Emerald eyes stared at her with what could only be irritation. All in all, her appearance was slightly intimidating, and it was highlighted by the black staff from earlier held with deadly grace in her hands.

Natasha quickly reached behind her and pulled one of her pistols from its holster, aiming it at the girl. "Don't. Move," Natasha growled out through gritted teeth. The girl simply smiled, like nothing was wrong, and Natasha was tempted to taze her out of spite.

"It would pass the time better, you know, if you'd tell me your name," the girl said. Natasha just gave a dismissive shrug of her shoulders. "Tell you what, I'll sweeten the pot. You tell me yours, and I'll tell you mine."

Natasha pondered this for a second, her eyes never leaving the aggressive woman standing before her. They maintained eye contact, her severe jade eyes meeting the powerful sea green ones before her. "Natalie," Natasha said, giving the woman her alias. "Natalie Rushman."

The woman rolled her eyes, giving an exasperated sigh. "Please don't insult my intelligence," the woman said. She gave the staff in her hands an experimental swing. "If you really thought I'd believe that was your real name, than you mistake me for a fool. And I would be ashamed of myself if I could not recognize the famous Black Widow, otherwise known as Natasha Romanoff."

This time, Natasha could truly say she was stunned. She drew back the hammer on her gun, making it click and giving it a slight flourish before asking, "How?"

She smiled, her grin resembling that of a teenager who knew they got away with something, "A magician never reveals their secrets."

Natasha was getting agitated now, and Clint noticed this from above. He reached back in his quiver and grabbed an arrow tipped with a tranquilizer. He aimed the shot quickly, and released the tension from the bow string. He waited through a breathless second, watching as the arrow descended with lethal accuracy. His head was counting down the moments before impact. Five… four… three… two… o-

The mystery woman spun around faster than lightning and batted the arrow out of the air with her staff. Natasha tried to take advantage of the opening but before she could even pull the trigger but the back end of her staff disarmed the agent of her firearm. The girl kept up her momentum and the end of her bo staff crashed into her temple, sending the redhead into unconscious oblivion.

The girl took off after that, sprinting across the crumbling ground. Clint pulled another arrow out of his quiver, aiming it just above the door the girl was running for. He released the grappling arrow, hearing it sing through the air with the rope tailing behind it. It bolted itself above the double door right as the girl went through. Clint let out a curse and slung his bow over the line and descended from the rafters. When he reached the door, he was met with nothing but an empty alleyway, not even a stray can disturbing the layer of filth on the ground.

Letting out a defeated sigh, Clint pulled a cell phone out and dialed a number. He held it up to his ear for a few seconds before it was picked up at the other end.

"Report," the voice of Nick Fury sounded through the cell.

Barton prepared for the worst, "Mission failed, agent incapacitated and package lost."

To Clint's surprise, Fury hadn't completely exploded in his ear yet. "A retrieval? Why?" he asked. Despite the one word question, and the recent events, Clint wasn't completely sure how to answer.

"I'm unsure exactly, sir," he began, taking a deep breath. "We arrived before the transaction began, and we identified the seller as Nathan Yantaz, but the buyer was an unknown woman who seemed to have dealing with him before. Things started out as usual, buyer shows that they have the money, seller shows object, buying commences, etcetera etcetera, but that was when the girl somehow found us out."

"Did you find out how?" Fury asked, seemingly more reasonable than he should be, considering he's normally a severe hothead.

"I don't know sir, but she warned the buyer, and said she'd do him a favor and get him out of there, next thing we know, the lights go out and the seller disappears before they turn back on. The girl is still there and Agent Romanoff moves to engage, but they get into a stalemate between staff and gun," Clint explained, realizing how stupid it was that the girl had over powered them with a _staff_, of all things.

"I took advantage of me thinking she didn't know of my presence, but when I fired the stun arrow, she batted it out of the air and somehow simultaneously disarmed Agent Romanoff," saying it out loud, Clint couldn't help but feel irritated that they had been beaten. They were members of the Avengers for crying out loud, not some untrained FNG that couldn't tell army fatigues from an Armani suit.

Fury responded, "Return to Stark's tower, we'll have a full debriefing upon your arrival. Stay alert, never know if you'll get lucky." Barton gave affirmation before signalling Natasha that it was time to leave.

xXxXx

The green-eyed girl moved quickly, acutely aware that if she was delayed or dallied she could very well be caught. With the newly acquired staff in hand, she wove her way through the maze of warehouses before quickly entering a more residential area. To avoid drawing unwanted attention, she ducked between two apartment complexes and scaled one of the fire escapes to the roof.

She quickly canvassed the area, confirming her sole presence, before letting out an ear-splitting taxi cab whistle. She crouched patiently, looking out over the bustling city and waiting for her ride to appear. And appear it did, detaching from the night sky as if he belonged, her beloved Blackjack descended onto the roof before whinnying in greeting.

_Sup boss, _the pegasus' voice rang in her mind. She stroked his mane with care, happy with seeing her long time friend again. Blackjack was definitely her most loyal companion, as he, Tyson, and Grover were the only few to side by her when-

_No, _her mind said viciously, shaking away the memory. She was over it, and her time there was done. No need to stir up those painful memories, she had work to do. She mounted Blackjack, petting his mane soothingly as she looked around.

She leaned next to Blackjack's ear and whispered, "Bring me home boy." Blackjack whinnied in response, galloping towards the edge of the building before quickly jumping off, allowing gravity to take effect shortly before he spread his wings and rose up, flying quickly between the skyscrapers of the big city.

Up here she could be in peace. The green eyed girl relaxed, before unconsciously falling asleep, still astride Blackjack. Blackjack on the other hand, was taking extra care in his flight so as to not wake up his boss and would most definately demand donuts when they landed. But while Blackjack daydreamed of sugary ringlets of dough, the green eyed girl had nightmares of the past.

_Suffocation, that was all she felt as the toxic air filled her lungs. Her sight blurred, and glass cut into the skin of her bare feet, but she had to move; she needed to make it to the River of Fire. Her legs gave out, blood seeping into the craggy, broken shore of the Phlegethon. She caught herself on her hands, the shards of glass impaling themselves deep within her skin and bones._

_Unable to stand or walk, the raven haired girl crawled with her remaining strength. The toxic air had filled her lungs, leaving her unable to breathe. The lack of oxygen plus the blood loss was making her even more lightheaded. The girl could barely keep her eyelids up as her hand reached into the liquid fire._

_The broken girl scooped up the liquid fire, using the last of her willpower she brought the liquid to her mouth and drank, draining it down her throat as the fire followed with the tasteless feeling of sandpaper. _

_Coughing and spluttering, she felt the magical effects of the river of pain take over, allowing her to breathe correctly and see straight. Every breath of the poisonous air still scorched her lungs. Once she regained full cognitive ability, her mind and body register one thing: she's stuck in hell, alone, and armed with only a sword._

_Jumping into the Phlegethon sounded like a better idea._

_Her dream started to shift, flashes of pain, blood, death, hope, and despair. She felt every flash of emotion pass by her, all until she was there, standing at the edge of the abyss. She stared out into the empty darkness that contained nothing to see, but held the beginning of everything. As she stared, the abyss gazes back, and the darkness folds itself._

_Out of the swirling shadows, a figure steps out, a woman hidden by the darkness. And she speaks, and the green eyed girl hears, "_Boss, wake up."

_Confused she tilts her head, when the figure speaks more urgently_, "BOSS!"

The raven haired girl jerked awake, feeling Blackjack doing tumble rolls through the sky. She was about to yell at him when she heard the whirring of a machine gun as bullets passed right behind them. Looking over her shoulder, she saw a weird looking jet of some sort, and the name of it was on the tip of her tongue. But that wasn't what mattered, what mattered was the emblem on the side of the vehicle - it was S.H.I.E.L.D.'s.

"_Skata_!" the green eyed girl yelled, feeling Blackjack bank to avoid being hit again. How they hadn't been shot out of the sky was a mystery to her, it almost seemed like they were missing intentionally. _Wait a second,_ she thought, _why are they missing on purpose? It's almost like they want to-_

Her thought process was cut off she was hit with the force of a truck by a man in a red and gold metal suit. The girl was thrown clean off Blackjack and into the side of a building, cursing her luck even more, she pulled the staff she got earlier off her back. Using her core muscles and experience from free falling, the girl braced the staff across the front of the body and slammed one end as hard as she could into the side of the building.

The black metal easily penetrated deep into the stone building, halting her movement abruptly and leaving her suspended in the air. She felt one of her shoulders pop, and knew instantaneously that it was dislocated. _Ow,_ she thought idley.

The ravenette waited against the building until she saw the metal man circle back and fly straight towards her. "Damn it!" she yelled at Iron Man. "I already avoided two of you avengers, why can't you all just screw off!" Ironman simply flew right up to her and angled his body so that he'd blast her with hot air and hover in front of her.

"You know, this wasn't exactly high on my agenda either kid," Iron Man started, his metallic version of his voice rang out, "So why don't you just be a good little kiddie and allow me to take you back to my tower where we can ask what the hell you were doing?"

The green eyed girl would've fought back, but seeing as she was helplessly stuck to the side of a building at least eight stories up she found no other viable option than to comply.

"Fine," she started, her stare unwavering as she looked into the metallic slits that were Iron Man's eyes. "Just make it quick."

xXx

And he did. The metal man simply grabbed her waist with one arm and held her to his chest, while he grabbed the staff with her other arm before flying approximately two miles to the Avenger's Tower, where he promptly deposited her to the _loving _care of _Hawkeye_ and the _Black Widow_. Those two were charmers for sure.

They quickly deposited her to a cliché interrogation room where they handcuffed her to the bland metal table and sat her down in a uncomfortable metal chair which was bolted to the floor. Her shoulder throbbed painfully as she waited. The single light overhead thrummed obnoxiously, annoying the emerald eye girl to no end.

As boredom consumed her, she started humming, letting her mind simply be. She was _oh so tempted_ to mess with her powers, but refrained from using them in here. After about thirty minutes of staring at the tiled grey walls, the green eyed girl suddenly yelled, "You know, your hospitality freaking sucks!"

"Only when you're on that side of the table." A woman had walked in carrying a manilla file, the tiles in the wall folding back. She was wearing gray slacks and a white blouse, giving her the appearance of what the green eyed girl liked to call a work "clone." Though the girl saw through it. Actually, the girl had to admit that the woman who walked in was pretty attractive. She had dark hair cut just above her shoulders, framing her face perfectly. That along with pale blue eyes set atop her sharp cheekbones, elegant nose, and full pink lips would make her stunning with the correct outfit.

The green-eyed girl didn't know if she should be worried about her mental health because she found her interrogator hot. _Eh, not really_, she corrected. _I gave up caring for my sanity years ago. _She looked over her interrogator again and decided mess around a little before things got too serious. "Well, I don't know about you, but I'd rather be _on top_ of the table," she said salaciously with a quick lick of the lips.

To the woman's credit, she managed to keep her slight blush to a minimum and narrow her eyes at the girl. She slapped a manilla folder onto the table and sat down. "Let's keep things civil shall we? This is no place to suggest such carnal pleasures," the woman responded, shooting the girl down.

The girl continued unperturbed, "Well, we could always make it more civil." She grinned wickedly. "Should we have a nice long pillow chat before hand with candles and wine?" The girl leaned back in her chair, hands still held close to the table by the restraints.

The woman openly glared at the girl, responding in a scathing whisper, "Enough! I will not sleep with you, lay with you, or in any case have sex with you!"

"Not yet."

"Tell me what you were doing in the warehouse earlier tonight," the woman demanded, eyes boring holes into the younger girls skull.

"I thought S.H.I.E.L.D. was all knowing," she responded cheekily.

And that was how most of the questions went:

"What's so important about that staff?"

"It's a walking stick."

As well as…

"Why won't you answer my questions?"

Responded by, "Why won't you have sex with me?"

"Why are you obsessed with sex?"

"Why are you obsessed with me?"

And lastly:

"What's your name?"

"Persephone."

The lady started, surprised by actually getting a non-nonsense response and decided to start from there. "No last name?"

Persephone frowned lightly, "None that I care to embrace."

The woman took the hint and asked about something else, "What is someone your age doing meeting with smugglers and beating world renowned spies? And more importantly how?"

Persephone's face went blank, her expression reflecting that of ice: cold, clear, and deadly. "That is a long story, and one I'm afraid you're not privileged to yet Lady Interrogator."

The newly dubbed "Lady" interrogator frowned slightly before standing up and leaving through the shifting tile door. Persephone reclined the best she could, propping her feet on the side of the table with a thoughtful expression on her face. She looked down at her shadow and raised a questioning eyebrow at it before asking it a question, "Shall we make things interesting?"

She tilted her head and grinned, as if hearing a reply that only she could here. "Sounds like a plan, let the games begin." The room dimmed slightly, and the incessant humming from the overhead light ceased.

The only physical change in the room was the blink of the red light above the door.

**xXxXx**

**A/N**

**Hey all, I know I've been away for awhile and that I have yet again made another new story. School has kept me on my toes and my ability to maintain writing has become severely crippled. Apologies.**

**Anyhow, thank you all to my loyal followers and reviews who stick with me even when I don't return the favor enough. And everyone who read the early version of this chapter where FF literally dumped a crap load of code into this...yeah. I don't know what happened either.**

**Merci mes copaines,**

**C.P. Nightshade**


	2. Chapter 2

"_The darkest hour never comes in the night."_

_\- _Sound of Madness_, Shinedown_

Nick Fury was staring at the luminescent monitor, regarding the prisoner with careful precision as she seemed to talk to some nonexistent presence in the room. After Maria left the girl seemed to think she was no longer being watched and started speaking to quietly for the camera to pick up. Fury also noted with acute interest that the room seemed to darken, but just _slightly_. Nothing concrete, as it could be a glitch, but this was S.H.I.E.L.D. technology and he was inclined to trust it.

Though for all he knew, Fury was also fully aware of how little he didn't know. _And I don't like not knowing things,_ he thought. _I'll find her secrets, one way or another._ His revery was interrupted by the entrance of one Maria Hill, or as dubbed by Persephone: Lady Interrogator.

"She's a handful sir, that's for sure," she said as she put her manilla folder on a nearby empty desk in Fury's impersonal office. The bland grey walls and simple wooden desk only held a computer, a small stack of blank papers, and a Tony Stark bobble-head that seemed to be built _into_ the desk and refused to come out despite numerous attempts by Fury to remove it.

"What can you give me Hill?" the eye-patch wearing spy asked, though he knew all of the information already by watching the interrogation it was protocol to debrief her.

Maria sat in the chair opposite his desk, voice still holding a mild level of irritation from her question of Persephone. "She's either really used to these situations or she's off in the head. Her reactions are casual and her responses represent a tendency to ignore and aggravate authority," she assessed unsurprisingly.

Fury thought, his face remaining an expressionless mask. On one hand, he could wait her out, see if he could let the supposed insanity cause her to spill her secrets; on the other hand, he could "persuade" her to confess quickly. Impatience claiming his mind, he quickly chose. "I'll talk to her myself, see if I can get anything else."

Fury stood and walked out of the room, gathering some tools from the flavorless kitchen installed outside his office. He sent a message from his phone for someone to drop off multiple buckets of water outside the interrogation room. Fury moved from the kitchen to Persephone's room, his face remained the same as his mind: void of all emotions and distractions, empathy gone so that no morals would hinder his need for knowledge.

He was outside Persephone's room now, a line of buckets at his disposal. He typed in the password for her room and entered, fully prepared to do his worst.

xXxXx

Persephone was beyond bored. Sitting in a dull room with a throbbing shoulder and bound wrists. _Oh well, at least I managed to mute that damnable light,_ she thought. _And if only Lady Interrogator agreed to my proposals, I wouldn't mind sharing the info then. _She smiled dreamily, enjoying her fantasy.

Sadly, her illusion was shattered by the door opening and an angry looking african american man with an eye-patch and trench coat coming with a towel and water. It didn't take much for what he wanted to do to click in her mind. _Seriously? Waterboarding? How cliché and ineffective, especially against someone like me._

The man placed a bucket of water on top of the table in the middle before swiftly moving behind Persephone and pulling her chair back and staring straight into her eyes. Persephone offered nothing more the a lazy smirk and a raised eyebrow, daring the man to try something.

"Tell me why you met with the man known as Nathan Yantaz?" the man asked, his voice steely and unpleasant. Persephone rolled her eyes and chuckled at this man's rather pathetic attempt at fear tactics.

Fury, annoyed by her lack of compliance, dunked the towel in the bucket before placing it on her face as he held her up with his other hand. He then moved the bucket over her head with the same hand and poured it over the towel, temporarily suffocating the girl underneath. Or so he thought.

Persephone sat under there, her annoyance and irritation rising within her. These mortals were such a nuisance, always running around trying to find the biggest stick and swing it at others. She was also disgusted by how quickly they gave up trying to coerce her of her answers and went straight to torture. _As if this really counted as torture, I faced worse in Tart-_

_Crap cakes,_ she thought before she blacked out as Fury still poured water down on to her.

xXxXx

_The waters of the Cocytus surrounded her, encouraging her despair and sparking her desire to. Just. Give. Up. And how Persephone wanted to just give in to the river of Lamentation, succumbing to its song of hopelessness. She should just lay down, give up, Gaia has already won-_

No! _she thought, her will to fight returning with a vengeance. With a yell that shook the pit itself, she allowed her power to pulse, sending all the water around her into the air. Rage filled her mind, determination to defeat the Primordial God of the Pit and his lover Gaia. Unknown to her at the time, her eyes had seemed to turn into an infinite pool of liquid fire, with rivulets of burning green energy lining her face as they leaked from her eye sockets._

_She drew her blade, Riptide shining with ethereal glory as it reflected the light shining from eyes. Her resolve strengthened yet her mind was clouded as Persephone will the Cocytus to part around her as she walked out of the river bed and onto the treacherous body of Tartarus. She suppressed the negativity of the place, bottling up what formed inside her._

_The images blurred together, seeming to fast forward as she watched over herself as she fought through Hell, as she collapsed along the shores of the Phlegethon, reuniting with Bob, meeting Damasen, and her tussle with the Keres._

_The dream slowed, showing an exhausted Persephone facing a woman with grey hair and sunken eyes. She recognized her, the goddess Akhlys, mistress of misery, master of poisons, and weaver of the Death Mist. Persephone watched herself as the goddess shrouded her in the Death Mist, and the quickly threw globules of poison at her. Taken by surprise, some of the poison managed to hit her side and she instantly began to scream in agony._

_Persephone watched as she was overcome by pain and anger, so close to escape yet still falling short. Rage overtook her past self, and in her blind rage she felt power. She felt the poison boiling against her skin, the blood thrumming through her veins, and she felt ichor pulsing through the misery goddess. With a scream of primal fury, she willed the poison off her body and back at Akhlys whose eyes widened with surprise and then fear. _

_When she tried to flee, she screamed in unmitigated pain. Akhlys' body was squirming in place as her veins glowed gold. The poison splashed directly onto her chest, eating through her decrepit robes and papyrus like skin. _

_The goddess' head turned so she was staring directly at Persephone as she rose. The girl's eyes had turned into leaking pools of energy which left tears of green fire down her cheeks. Her brows creased and she raised her hands making a grabbing gesture. Suddenly, Akhlys' body convulsed and the goddess began to thrash violently, her mouth open in a silent scream. _

_Persephone's face contorted into one of gruesome determination as she controlled the ichor inside the goddess. She felt the golden liquid obey her commands, and with a savage yell that shook the very being of Tartarus, she pulled the goddess apart._

xXxXx

Director Fury watched intrigued as the young woman sat thrashing, still confined to her chair. Her eyes were open and he studied the intense green of her irises as it seemed to shift from a foreboding dark color to a fractured sea green that revealed to him the broken state of her mind. _What could've done this to someone so young looking? _He thought, though he suspected that this girl was not as young in her mind as she seemed physically.

Her thrashing suddenly stilled, but her body still shook and her eyes closed tightly as if she was in excruciating pain. Fury placed his hands on the table, still slick with water from her waterboarding experience. He leaned in closer, watching as the girls inner turmoil reflected upon the room. He felt it, a power pulsing from inside her. He wanted to shout "_I knew it!"_ into the air but refrained from doing so, insistent on watching the girl to see if he could determine the exact nature of her powers.

The room steadily got colder, and the girl occasionally let out a whimper of fear. Frost slowly started to form where the table was wet with water, and Fury quickly removed his hands from the frigid metal. When the rooms temperature stabilized, the table was white with frost and the nearby buckets of water had a thin layer of ice around them. The girl still was unconscious, eyes closed tightly and body tense, but the trembling had stopped.

Fury was about to leave when he felt the energy thrumming throughout the room shift yet again, and suddenly the room turned darker than night. He quickly pulled his smartphone out and activated the flashlight attachment, and to his surprise and horror he could not even see more than a few inches from the beams of light. It was as if this was some sort of veil was placed upon the room, obscuring all light.

It was in this darkness, filled by nothing but oppressive silence, that Fury was truly beginning to fear this child, which to him was ridiculous because whether or not she had powers was irrelevant to the fact that this girl was still a _child._ He should not be afraid of someone less than half his age.

Then Fury heard it, as if he had a choice though when Persephone let loose an unearthly scream that brought him to his knees as the sound sent blades dancing around his skull and caused his eardrums to bleed. He looked up, vision blurry and his phone shining its light upwards from the ground where he dropped it. What he saw would forever scar his mind, as it inspired a fear that no man could resist.

Burning emerald orbs glared at him through the darkness. Lines of the same green fire spiderwebbed around a feminine face, illuminated the malicious sneer plastered on an alabaster face. Persephone regarded him as a cat does the cornered mouse, cruel amusement resonating from her person. Fury watched as the silhouette of her hand appeared and made a flicking motion towards him.

Fury was quickly slammed back into the nearby wall with tremendous force by the jet of water that impacted directly with his chest. Fury felt his consciousness leaving him as the water continued to pin him to the wall, and using all of his remaining strength he reached towards the watch around his wrist for the emergency button. As his fingers were mere centimeters away, the jet of water stopped, making him slump forwards.

He looked up, seeing no trace of malicious verdant eyes cruel faces. He was wondering where the prisoner went when the lights turned on, and a destroyed, soaked interrogation room presented itself to him. His confusion was followed by something that only capitalized his worry:

The blaring sounds and red lights of the alarm.

**A/N:** **Hello all, quick update yes I know. I've been able to keep this up for the past few days. Thank you all for you follows/favs/reviews.**

**To Penguinlover42 who was concerned about her age, shes old enough, don't worry.**

**I'll do my best to maintain writing this and have no qualms if people send constructive criticism to me and will do my best to apply it in there. Ideas are welcome, though I can't promise there application and if anyone has any questions that they want answered, leave a review or PM me.**

**Peace,**

**CP Nightshade**


	3. Chapter 3

"_Beware lest you lose the substance by grasping at the shadow."_

_~Aesop_

Persephone was done with mortals. Or at least those in positions of "power." They were greedy, self-serving, reckless, stupid, and an overall pain in her ass. First they disrupt her exchange with the smuggler Yantaz, knocked her off her pegasus, taken her to the Avengers Tower to get "interrogated," and caused a flashback during the waterboarding session. All of this definitely knocked Eye-patch and Co. to the top of her mortal hate list. Though he still wasn't close to certain demigods and gods.

Persephone stared at the man, who was doing his best to not cower in his boots and was failing admirably. She felt her eyes "leaking," as she liked to call it when her energy manifested physically. It was slightly uncomfortable in the beginning, but the more frequent it occurred the less it bothered her. And she had to admit it made one heck of an intimidation technique.

She felt the darkness around her, the veil her instinct had created in an attempt to protect her. Persephone didn't actually mind that her powers seemed to have a life of their own, but they did have a habit of reacting at _very_ inappropriate times. _So much for keeping my powers on the D.L.,_ Persephone thought, still glaring at the man before her. _Well, might as well leave him here._

Persephone let the darkness consume her, feeling it seep into her as she collected herself. Her vision went black, and she reached out her senses, looking through the shadows in an attempt to find her confiscated weapon. How she was able to track the staff was quite simple. Well, simple to _her_ at least.

See, the weapon that she had acquired was made of Stygian Iron, which was made in the waters of the Styx River in the underworld, or more specifically for this weapon: Tartarus. It was also enchanted by a very unique… _goddess_ Persephone met during her excursion to hell. She managed to lose it during the battle against Gaia which felt like millennia ago for her. The fact that someone was able to find it for her, _three years_ after they won the war, summoned a very appreciative feeling inside the green-eyed girl.

Though how she was able to actually track the weapon was because the weapon was made of darkness, and as such held shadows within it. So Persephone let the darkness coalescing around her seek out the staff. Now that she thought about it, shouldn't she have been able to do the same thing years ago? _Huh, now I feel like an idiot, _Persephone thought, _Oh well._

The effect was immediate. She felt its presence in a well lit room two stories above her. Persephone grinned, letting the shadows fold into her, opening an invisible bridge between her and her destination. The shadows pulled her into their fold, moving her through the cold and darkness, past the silent screams of lost souls, and with one last sensation of being pulled in two different directions she was staring at the back of man's head who was looking at her staff with great curiosity.

Persephone grinned, finding herself in the perfect position to ambush her prey. She took a step back, finding the temptation to play with her food irresistible. It was such an easy thing to play with, the fears of men, mortal and immortal alike. Make them believe in the powers they cannot understand, make them stand rapt in awe as a wonderous foe smites them where they stand. Matters not how brave they are in the face of the dangers they see, but when they stare into the darkness where hell breeds, that is when one's true face is revealed. It was a lesson Persephone realized too late, but she would not make the same mistake again.

She tapped the man on the shoulder, making him jump up in surprise. He whirled around to face her, sporting a pair of glasses and deep green eyes. A mess of light brown hair toppled into his eyes. Under his lab coat he was wearing a wrinkled button-down untucked and a pair of jeans. Slight lines marked the outside of his eyes, marking his slight age and stressful life. _Aww he's kinda cute_, she thought, and wondered absentmindedly how he would have looked in his slightly younger years.

The man looked into her eyes, which had stopped leaking and returned to the normal volatile green state. Persephone raised an eyebrow leaned into his personal space while she linked her hands behind her back. The man with glasses spoke, surprise causing him to splutter, "How? What? Who?"

He quieted when Persephone began to shush him, raising an elegant finger to his lips. He leaned backwards, bracing his hands against the lab table. Persephone smiled, amusement dancing around in her shining eyes. She moved her hand from his mouth around his head and grabbed her staff. Pulling it around and switching it to her other hand behind her back, Persephone the leaned in quickly and gave the poor scientist a quick kiss on the cheek.

She quickly pulled back, smiling broadly and bouncing on her toes. She gave the man a wink before speaking, her voice slightly husky, "Thanks love," she turned around and walked towards the nearby door. When she reached it, she gave the man one last look over her shoulder. "Maybe another time." She winked.

Persephone was already up to the next story before the alarms went off. She laughed giddily, taking it upon herself to skip up the stairs like a little girl.

xXxXx

Tony Stark was doing his best attempt at making some popcorn for the movie that his TV was showing, and it was surprisingly more difficult than it should be. Clint and Natasha were having a heated discussion on the couch about the different applications of poisons when one wanted to incapacitate but not kill. Steve had arrived not long after they brought the random girl in for questioning, yet neither Tony nor the assassins had decided it would be a good idea to tell him about it.

It wasn't that they didn't trust Steve, but leaving a young woman at the mercy of Fury sat uncomfortably in their stomachs. And if they didn't like it, Steve would go all out against it with his morally high compass. He was currently sitting in one of Tony's recliners, watching the movie with great interest, and his shield was resting against the chair.

The microwave where Tony was trying to make popcorn in let out a sharp _beep_, startling him and causing him whirl around and bang his knee on the cabinet behind him. "Mother of all fu-" He was cut off by Natasha throwing a cushion at his head from the couch across the room.

"Language Tony, or do I need to tell Pepper about that time after we went and got shawarma?" the red haired spy scolded the billionaire. Tony looked slightly mortified about that time he had declared "unmentionable," and walked over to retrieve the popcorn from the microwave. When he took it out, he was happy to see it finally was not burned and was smelling delicious.

Dumping the popcorn into a nearby blue plastic bowl, Tony began to make his way to join his fellow teammates in watching the movie. "You know 'Tasha, I thought you left all the blackmailing behind when-" Tony was once again interrupted, but this time by the activation of the alarm system. Blaring red lights flashed, lighting the room the scarlet.

"Are you freaking kidding me?" Tony shouted, the suddenness of the alarm causing him to throw the popcorn up in the air. No later than he finished the sentence then did it come back down and land on his head, covering him with his buttery treat. Fuming, the philanthropist shout at his A.I. manservant, "Jarvis, what's going on?"

"It appears the the young woman you apprehended earlier has escaped and acquired her weapon," the A.I.'s mechanical voice rang out through the room. "Tracking her position now." There was a pregnant pause, Tony brushing the popcorn of his shirt and removing the bowl from his head; the assassins had both drawn weapons from _somewhere_, Clint with his bow and arrows and Natasha with her dual pistols; and Steve had his shield raised and ready. "She is on the sixtieth floor, approximately 20 feet from your current location."

Once again, Tony cursed. "God damn it! Jarvis prepare my suit." Almost in response, the doors to the Avenger's living room flew off their hinges. Out from the dust skipped the black-haired girl Tony had picked up from the side of a building hanging from the very staff she was holding in her hands. She was wearing the same plain black hoodie and jeans from before.

She stopped about fifteen feet from them, placed her staff into the ground and leaned against while she waved at them cheerily. "Hello friends!" she said, her voice sounding disturbingly genuine. "Mr. Stark," she looked him over real quick. "I prefered you better with your metal suit."

Tony pouted slightly, miffed that he was dismissed so easily. He discreetly moved his hands behind his back and used his wrist cuffs he always wore to signal his Mark XII Iron Man suit. He'd upgraded its response time since his last fiasco where he almost became a grease spot at the base of his tower.

The emerald eyed girl turned her attention to the two super spies who both had their weapons pointed at her, but she remained unfazed. "You two! How lovely to see again!" The assassins faces remained unchanged. Persephone's face pouted slightly, her eyes the only indication that she didn't really care. "Where's the love you two? I thought we bonded! And I was hoping to get to know you guys better, especially you love." She winked at Natasha.

The red head rolled her eyes, while the archer creased his eyebrows. The emerald eyed girl shifted her attention to the captain, and her grin turned completely predatorial. "Ooh, aren't you something," she purred towards Steve. "You know, I could take you with me for a few nights if you want. What'd you say?"

Steve simply readied himself, raising his shield and responded in his typical gentlemanly way, "Sorry ma'am, but I have a job to do," Steve said, his voice sincere. "And I don't bed random women."

Persephone just kept grinning. "You could make it your job to do _me_," she said salaciously. "And I won't be so random after a few nights." Steve didn't respond, and Persephone pouted. "Shucks, alas we seem to both have conflicting jobs. To bad it'll be me on top."

With that, Persephone struck. Her first target was Clint, he she launched a flurry of attacks on varying from swipes of her staff, kicks, and jabs. He ducked under a spinning swing of her staff only to receive a booted foot to his face, sending him sprawling. He quickly rolled backwards, aiming a stun arrow at the girl. She dodged and charged him again, but was intercepted by Captain America.

He charge her with his shield, hitting her square in the side and sent her halfway across the room by the balcony. She rose quickly, her face showing minor annoyance. She glanced out the window, seemingly processing the view. Steve took a quick glance out the window, noticing the evening light of the fading sun. The few clouds and the reds reflecting off the sky. He looked back at the girl only to notice that she was charging him.

He raised his shield, feeling the staff bounce off it. He opened up to strike, but received the butt of the staff in his abdomen, winding him. The girl capitalized quickly, striking him faster the he could blink with her boot across his face in a roundhouse kick. His vision turned blurry, and his ears were ringing something fierce. He tried to get up, but the girl put her boot on his chest and pinned him back to the floor.

"Sorry love," Persephone said, her voice barely registering in the Captain's ears. She delivered a quick kick to his temple, knocking him unconscious before turning to face the remaining three Avengers. Tony Stark was now wearing his armor suit, making him capable of fighting her, while the spies were- _Wait a minute, _she thought, _where's Ms. Feisty?_

Her question was answered when she got pistol whipped across the back of her skull. She fell forwards, her staff falling out of her hands. "_Skata_," she hissed. A powerful kick to her side sent her sprawling away from her weapon. This was followed by two guns, an arrow, and Tony's propulsion systems all fixated on her.

She looked out the window again, taking in the near pitch black sky. _Come on, only a few more minutes,_ she thought_, got to stall, got to stall, what to do? _Then she thought of it, how to buy herself some time.

When she was kicked out away from her staff, she landed near the window out towards a balcony of some sorts. If she could break the glass and slide down far enough, she could enter the shadows below and reappear behind them. Smirking at her idea, she quickly balled her fist and slammed it into the glass, shattering it and sending a few shards into her hand. Before the assembled Avengers could react, she rolled out the glass.

She couldn't deny that the sensation of free falling wasn't thrilling. The wind blowing her face, and the adrenaline in her veins, but it still made her slightly aware because her uncle would not hesitate to blast her to ashes. She focused on the shadows, waiting for their comfort. She opened her eyes when she heard the sound of thrusters coming upon her.

She looked up, taking in the red and gold figure catching up to her. She balled up her body, tucking in her knees, before unloading her body like a spring increasing her velocity towards the ground. She had to prolong being caught long enough for night to fall, then she would be able to beat these Avengers with much more ease.

She was just reaching the beginning of the real shadows in which she could shadow travel through easily when a metal hand grabbed her ankle and heaved her up. She struck the joint by the shoulder, which would cause any other man to drop her but the metal suit did not have the same vulnerabilities as men. Didn't mean she couldn't try.

Stark just gave an audible huff of annoyance at Persephone before beginning the slow ascent back the the top of the tower. Persephone smiled, at his pace night should have fallen completely by the time he reached the top, so she simply relaxed.

"You know, you guys work good as a team," Persephone commented idly. "Most people wouldn't have been able to beat me. It's actually sort of refreshing." Stark just chuckled dryly.

"Being tested in fighting by some random girl, chasing after some girl as she decides to jump out of _my _building which she decided to trash first," Persephone giggled at this. "And all of this after I apprehended her flying on a mystical horse as a get-away from an illegal underground trade, and now she thanks me," he gave her a stern look, or at least as stern as one as he could convey with a face plate. "And I still don't know her name."

Persephone giggled again. "Persephone," she said smirking slightly.

"No last name," he asked, curiosity in his voice.

"I'll tell you my last name when we get serious Mr. Stark, otherwise how else will I hold my air of mystery?" she asked, giving him a playful smile.

"Your 'air of mystery?'" he quoted with exasperation. "We don't know a damn thing about you and you want to maintain and 'air of mystery?'"

"What can I say, I have high expectations," she responded, almost absentmindedly. Her focus was on the rising night, feeling the power within her increase. The sun had disappeared from the sky completely and no more light shown over the horizon. Persephone grinned, feeling the glee the darkness brought, and one thought filled her mind: _This will be fun_.

Then, a rainbow beam of light hit the top of the building, announcing the arrival of two of the most powerful beings the mortal world knew: Thor…

and _Loki._

**A/N:**

**Hello all, and thank you all new followers to my story. Your loyalty and support is much appreciated. I don't have much to say, except I was listening to ****_Call Me_**** by Shinedown for the duration of creating this chapter.**

**Response to Reviews:**

**Rooney-**

**Thank you, and I plan on keeping it a non-serious but still present thing.**

**BookLoverBookWriter-**

**Another thank you, and your welcome for your favorite character who is making his appearance. It was planned, because I love said character as well and you'll find I'm not the only one.**

**To everyone else-**

**Thank you, and keep it up. Reviews help me write and also lighten up my mood when I'm too tense to think.**

**Other News-**

**Glaciers and Greeks will continue to be revised and will be updated come summer time. I have enough work with this story and school to worry about adding another story to my plate.**

**Thank you, and see you soon,**

**CP Nightshade**


	4. Chapter 4

"_We adore chaos because we love to produce order."_

_~M.C. Escher_

Persephone watched the light descending from the depths of space. Her primary emotion: glee. She was now absolutely, outright, _giddy_ at the prospect of fighting the Norse god of thunder. Especially since night had fallen onto the earthly plane and Persephone felt exhilarated.

She leaned her head back towards Stark who was still holding her in the air. She whispered to him over-dramatically, "Oh, this'll be _fun_." Stark turned his metal encased skull towards her, his faceless expression didn't stop the pure confusion radiating from him. Before he could ask a question, Persephone disappeared from his grasp and moved through the shadows to the newly arrived Norse.

She appeared out of nothingness before the two gods on the roof, leaning on her staff and observing how the blonde bodybuilder-_or Thor_, she thought-stood ready for battle, while the dark haired god behind him stood with his hands bound in thick glowing handcuffs. _So this is the infamous Loki,_ she easily dismissed physical strength as his primary attribute in a fight, but quickly recognized the apprehensive look in his eyes as one of supreme intelligence and deceit.

She focused her attention back to the armed man in front of her. "So you're Thor?" she asked him. He nodded minutely. "Do you know who I am?"

He furrowed his brows, taking in her appearance and the weapon she wielded. After a few moments his eyes lit with recognition. "You are Persephone Ja-"

Thor was cut off by the demigoddess. "Uh, uh, uh. No last names please, tends to make things messy."

Thor arched an eyebrow, but continued talking none the less. "You lead the Greeks in their wars a few years ago against the Gigantes and Titans," he spoke, and Persephone nodded. She wasn't overly surprised that the Greeks and Norse talked considering the presence Thor had become. "Last I heard of you, you were supposedly exiled for… _unclear_ reasons."

Persephone snorted, "That is what the gods would say. _Unclear reasons_, my ass."

She shifted off her staff, twirling it before holding it in an offensive position. "But that's enough chit-chat my godly friend," she smiled in anticipation. "I've been messing with your teammates, but I want a true fight."

She shifted her feet to prepare her charge, her eyes narrowed and her grinned transformed into a vicious smirk. "So let's rumble," she said, following her words with a dash towards the Norse. She brought her staff around for a powerful blow, but Thor used Mjolnir to block the blow. Persephone used the momentum of her strike to bring the other end of the staff around and strike his leg.

Thor stumbled, then recovered by jumping backwards to avoid any possible onslaught by her staff. He had seemingly underestimated her fighting style and speed, not only that but she had begun to radiated a feeling of power that disconcerted Thor. He had heard of her prowess but what he had seen in the simple two blows was that she wasn't trying. She could of capitalized when he stumbled but she let him regain himself.

Persephone was bouncing on her toes, the adrenaline filling her system amplified by the nocturnal hour. She observed Thor as he observed her, and Persephone quickly thought of ways to counter his powers. _I can create a thin sheet of ice or water to redirect any electrical attack, _she strategized. _And I still have the element of surprise with Night on my side._

Persephone grinned again, flourishing her weapon quickly before giving Thor a look that clearly read, "Bring it." Thor's nostrils flared at the display of arrogance, and he readied his hammer and leaped at her at high speeds. Persephone ducked under his flying body, striking upwards with her staff as Thor passed overhead. The blow struck Thor's abdominal armor, which absorbed most of the impact but still left him out of control.

He crashed slightly before correcting himself with a roll and charging back into combat where he engaged Persephone once more. He took the offensive, attempting to break her guard with Mjolnir, but Persephone's skill with her staff was phenomenal. She parried, blocked, dodged, or countered everything that Thor sent her way.

Thor was becoming agitated, and Persephone noted this in his sloppier yet fiercer attacks. He was becoming easier to defend due to the lack of forethought applied to his strikes. Deciding it was time to turn tables, Persephone prepared for another counter. As Thor swung his hammer in a wide arc, she ducked underneath and braced a hand on the ground before kicking Mjolnir upwards sending Thor off balance.

She followed up with sweep kick to take his feet out from underneath him. Thor landed with a crash. Persephone kept her momentum and used it to jump in the air bringing her staff up in an aerial overhead strike. Thor, unable to bring Mjolnir up in time to block, brought his free arm up to shield himself from the blow. When the staff made contact, there was a loud _crack_ swiftly followed by a masculine cry.

Persephone jumped backwards from the injured Norse, inspecting the damage she'd caused. The armor encasing Thor's arm was dented and slightly broken. Small amounts of blood leaked out most likely from the jagged pieces of armor the cut his skin. All in all, Persephone was most certain that he would not be able to wield Mjolnir with that arm for a while.

Persephone looked behind her quickly, feeling a presence. She saw Loki, simply sitting down cross legged and smirking at her. She rolled her eyes at the mischief maker's antics and turned to face Thor, who was now rising from the ground. He held his injured arm close to his body, while his other arm twirled Mjolnir.

Persephone readied herself for his next attack, and was slightly disappointed when he rose into the air above the tower instead. Lightning began to arc around the sky, and Persephone quickly realized what he was doing. She focused her powers to the water in the air, condensing it slightly to increase it conductivity before making a thin barrier between her and the thunder god.

Thor raised his hammer, and lightning bounced off of it and towards the demigoddess. Thor watched in anticipation as she didn't even try to avoid it, but was met with a surprise when the bolt seemed to hit an invisible barrier and disperse, leaving nothing but the smell of ozone. He looked at Persephone and saw the growing smirk on her face and glared at her with contempt.

He was about the strike again when Stark appeared next him, his arms crossed as he stared down the girl. Tony addressed Thor without making eye contact, "So Shakespeare, I see you've met our little problem." He gestured to Thor's broken armor.

Thor gave the Ironman a quick glance before responding, "The stories of her do not do justice to her prowess in battle. I far underestimated her in both combat and powers." At this Tony turned his head towards Thor.

"You know of her?" he said incredulously. "And do you know what powers she has so we can think of how to counter them?" Tony was hoping for something simple, maybe like increased speed or strength, which while effective, are also rather simple to defend against with the team of Avengers.

"For what I have the knowledge of, she has the ability to control water," Thor told Tony, who pouted slightly. "She also has been rumored to be able to summon miniature hurricanes and earthquakes." Tony seemed to deflate even more.

"Ok, on another point," Tony began, addressing Thor. "Why is Reindeer Games with you? I thought he was locked up in the Asgardian Supermax."

Thor was about to answer, but was saved by the arrival of the other three Avengers who burst out of the door and immediately locked onto Persephone. "Ah, it appears our companions have arrived," Thor remarked, and he too prepared himself to fight despite his obviously injured arm. Tony sighed and followed suit.

Persephone watched as her opponents all readied themselves, and she grinned. _Now that they're all here,_ she thought as her eyes began to glow green_, I might as well show them why I was exiled - why they should fear! _As she finished that thought, she summoned her power in all of its unmitigated glory.

The Avengers watched slack-jawed at the redoubtable sight before them. The girl they have been fighting for the past few hours had begun to… _pulse_. Energy thrummed through the air, and as they watched the girl before them her eyes began to slowly catch fire. It started in her pupils, before slowly spreading outwards. When the flames reached the edge of her eyes, it began to leak down the side of her face, leaving trails of luminescent green fire.

Persephone looked up at the shocked faces of her opposition. She grinned, thinking only one thing: _You ain't seen nothing yet_. Then, she let out a yell and slammed her staff into the roof- more for dramatic effect than anything else- and became the very darkness in which she stood. Shadows swirled around her, and she felt her body lose physical form. Her hair, which normally was pitch black, seemed to darken even more and her body faded into shadows leaving a distorted, wraith like visage in her stead.

She pulled her staff out of the ground, flourishing it before shifting her feet. She looked up at the Avengers, a mirthful grin adorning her shadowy face. With a short _woop_, Persephone took the initiative and charged. Every step caused her shadow to shift, distorting her figure more and more.

The Avengers all readied themselves and opened fire on the girl, except Rogers who charged her with his shield. Persephone dodged all of them, weaving in and out of arrows and bullets at impossible speeds, deflecting propulsion blasts with her staff, and weaving constant water shields to avoid lightning. When she arrived at Steve, she disappeared from sight, using the shadows and darkness to reappear behind him and hit the back of his knee, effectively halting him from moving quickly.

She disappeared into the shadows again, appearing above Thor as she swung her staff in a powerful strike at his head. He crumbled, falling out of the sky and onto the roof like a sack of potatoes. Persephone let herself fall, and when she would impact against the roof she shadow traveled again, attacking the remaining Avengers until all that were left concious was her and Loki.

Breathing slightly labored, Persephone appeared in front of the trickster, regarding him with a raised eyebrow. The mischief god grinned at her from his spot cross-legged on the roof, "Well done, even I could not take those five on alone." He would have applauded her if his hands weren't shackled together.

Persephone laughed. "I'm not most people," she responded cheekily. "But I'm guessing you knew that one didn't you Loki?"

"You know of me, Persephone?" the Norse replied.

"You blew up most of this city," she deadpanned. "I like this city, too. And might I ask how both of Asgard's princes know of a little ol' Greek like me?"

"Sharing stories of our greatest warriors and triumphs has kept the peace between the Norse and Greek pantheons for eons, though we still tend to keep to ourselves," Loki explained. "Your conquests over Gaia and the titan Kronos have been quite the tale going around on Asgard."

"I'm no hero," Persephone retorted, who hated being thought of as such.

"You don't need to be a hero to be a warrior," was Loki's quick response. He looked at her curiously. She was still in her shadow form, with wispy tendrils of shadows occasionally coiling of her body like serpents. She was definitely the most powerful mortal Loki had ever met. _And that's if she is even still mortal. To hold power like that yet still be mortal. Well, she should be a burnt crisp, _Loki thought. _What happened to her?_

Voicing his thoughts Loki questioned the seemingly young woman before him, "What happened to you? When the Olympians were asked of you recently they responded with bitterness and scathing remark. It used to be with pride and admiration." At this Persephone let out a quick laugh.

"As if those scum ever actually cared," she began. "When I acquired these powers over shadows, they were fairly weak. But as I continued to survive, the power increased and even though I only ever used them to combat Gaia, it wasn't long before people became afraid of me."

She sat down across from Loki. She didn't know why she was telling him this, but at the moment she didn't care. "It started off as simple stuff. New people avoiding me, sending me fearful glances and steering clear of any place I was present," she sighed, letting out all of her pent up frustration in that one puff of air. "Then came the people I came to call friends; veterans who had survived with me through the wars. They began to look at me with contempt, for no obvious reason at the time."

Persephone looked Loki in the eyes, her burning orbs piercing his soul. "They started to believe that I was to blame for everything wrong that would happen. A monster attack, I summoned it. A demigod getting hurt in my classes, I did it on purpose. It slowly increased from there, until one day they took arms against me," Persephone's voice was cracking slightly, obviously in pain from digging up these memories. "I fought back, using Anaklusmos, my sword at the time. I held them back, preferring to run away than actually fight. That's when the worst thing happened."

She took another deep breath, releasing it as a puff of darkness. Loki would have found this display fascinating, if not for his focus on her story. "My most loyal friend, Grover, a satyr who I had trusted with my life since I was twelve showed up. He tried to stop the campers peacefully, and in return they shot him in the shoulder with an arrow. It was nonlethal, but the assault on my last good friend made me snap," Persephone looked down, the fire in her eyes dying slightly. "That was when I first learned the true power my patron gave me. I sent the camp into pure darkness, leaving nothing to be seen. I attacked the person who shot Grover and ended up breaking both of his arms. After that, I simply left."

Loki took this opportunity to ask another question. "Who is this patron you speak of?"

Persephone looked up again, before glancing at the night sky with what seemed to be content. "I thought you would've guessed by now," Persephone said with a small air of smugness. "My patron is the primordial of night itself, Lady Nyx."

**A/N: Thank you all who review, and here's a quick chapter for you all.**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Kinda forgot this important thing…**

**Disclaimer: All Percy Jackson and the Olympians and Heroes of Olympus characters belong to Rick Riordan. All Avengers characters belong to Marvel. The only thing I own is plot and any possible OC's.**

"_Undermine their pompous authority, reject their moral standards, make anarchy and disorder your trademarks. Cause as much chaos and disruption as possible, but don't let them take you ALIVE."_

_~ Sid Vicious_

Persephone was doubled over, clutching her sides in a futile attempt to keep her upright. Loki was flabbergasted, staring at her like she was insane - which she probably was - as she claimed to be under the protection of the protegenos of night. Loki had heard stories about the daughter of Poseidon, and assumed when he saw the shadow powers that they came from Hades. That was an obvious misconception.

Persephone's power came from a being who was one of the oldest in the known universe, second only to Chaos. She was the eternal night that covered the universe, wife of Erebus who wove the everlasting darkness of space, and gave birth to Hemera and Aether who first brought the piercing daylight into the known world. Loki, knowing the true power of the mistress of Night, became wary of the girl before him. _If she holds even a fraction of Nyx's power_, he thought, shivering as he let the thought dissipate. She wasn't attacking him, and that all he cared about.

Persephone stood and looked at Loki, her eyes still burning. She composed herself slightly, allowing herself to speak, "The look… on your face!" She fell over laughing again, burning green tears falling from her eyes. Loki rolled his eyes, letting her childish antics continue. He couldn't really judge her for this considering he'd probably do the same thing if the roles were reversed.

"Curiosity begs me to ask this question, while my common sense says to let it go," Loki began, gaining the attention of the shadow before him. She sat up and looked at him with a raised, shadowy eyebrow. Shadowy tendrils still swirled off her body, leaving wispy trails of darkness coiling through the air. "Why are you here? With your powers you could have left without them knowing, so why engage the Avengers in combat?"

Persephone quieted, then grew sheepish at his question. "Well, I may or may not have been really bored and wanted to see how _Earth's Mightiest Heroes_ stood up against a champion of Nyx," she rubbed the back of her head. She kept going, speaking slightly defensively, "But they started it by attacking me when I was getting my staff! I've been fighting with a ramshackle Celestial Bronze one for the past three years."

Loki chuckled, amused by the childish response from the powerful demigoddess in front of him. He was about to ask a question, when she suddenly she stiffened, stood, and looked up above the sky. Her gaze lingered upon the night sky, watching intently as she spoke almost too quietly for Loki to hear, "So they still are hunting me." She turned and looked at him again, the fire burning stronger in her eyes. "Tell the Avengers when they wake up that I'll return to them at dusk the day after tomorrow, and that I bring news of a rising threat in the darkness. One they will not be able to defeat alone."

Loki was about to question her, but she gave her staff a quick twirl before slamming it into the ground. There was a surge of darkness, and then Persephone was gone, the only evidence she was there was the still unconscious Avengers sprawled about. Loki simply looked around and sighed, falling onto his back and getting as relaxed as he would.

xXxXx

Persephone was angry, no, she was _livid_. The gods, ever so meddlesome, had found her after all these years. And she knew now that they had found her again, she wasn't going to get her freedom unless either they laid down their arms, which was unlikely; or she incapacitated the pantheon as a whole.

She threw her staff down onto the floor of the safe house she had shadow travelled to, her clothes following suit as she moved towards the bathroom. When she arrived, she quickly turned the shower on to full blast and got in, letting the scalding water wash over her. Her mind cleared recognizing the predicament she was in. _They have a fix on me, they'll never let me show myself in public again, _she thought, _after what I did, after I broke so completely. I'll be lucky if they kill me._

A little voice rang in her head, one she had not heard in so long. _You have to go back,_ it said, _you must come to terms with what has transpired._

Her thoughts listened, her mind fracturing in breaking as different voices began to speak.

_Go back, face what you've done._

_No, too much, the pain is unbearable, the guilt-_

_FIGHT, mercy is weak, pain is fuel!_

_Cowards always try to get away._

_Did they not deserve mercy? Or is death the only fate?_

_What could we have done, it is YOUR mind that is broken!_

_Too. Much. No more…_

_MONSTER! _

_They were innocent..._

_Blood calls for blood, as is the will of justice._

_Paint the world red with your revenge._

_We are not meant for such trivial things, we are CHAOS!_

_And Chaos reigns as Order falls, you will break, mantle of Night._

_You can try and fight, but what you don't know is that you've already lost._

Persephone collapsed, the water still streaming over her semi-conscious form.

xXxXx

_It is a peculiar thing, how the actions of others always influences us more than the actions of ourselves. This is what Persephone thought as she sat on the beach and gazed at the night sky, feeling the push and pull of the sea as it mingled with the earth and the night. It was these moments she relished, the world she remembered now nothing but echoes lost in time._

_She was not naive, she knew full well what she had devolved to in the eyes of her once friends. Loyalty was her fatal flaw after all, not theirs. It was Persephone who had the most unbreakable loyalty one could find, but it was the strength of her loyalty, the impossibility of it, that inspired the suspicion among the demigods. For months now, she was treated with disdain, given nothing but scathing glares and acrimonious comments._

_But it was here, on the beach under the veil of Lady Night did she feel most at peace. It was here, unsurprisingly, that her world fell apart from under her feet. Her powers, combined with her instincts, felt the arrow, could trace it to the person who shot it, moved her out of the way, yet she still could not understand _why_. Why would they attack her? They didn't like her, she could live with that, but to actually raise up in arms…_

_Persephone drew Anaklusmos and quickly activated her shield. She shifted her stance to act on the defensive, waiting for her attackers to show themselves. She sensed them, lurking in the shadows just out of sight. She counted ten, maybe even fifteen demigods. Gods, she hoped she didn't know any of them, she didn't know if she could fight her once friends._

_She didn't need to wait long, soon they showed themselves. There were twelve in all, armed with an assortment of spears, bow and arrows, and swords. Persephone immediately locked eyes with the archer that shot at her earlier, her anger increasing when she saw it was some crack shot son of Ares._

"_I'd ask why, but seeing as you attacked me from behind it is safe for me to assume that you are a coward." Definitely not the best or nicest thing Persephone has ever said, but it served its purpose, the child of Ares roared in anger and attacked. Persephone spoke again, quietly, before entering the fray. "Cowards always fear power."_

_Two demigods, a guy and a girl, charged her with spears and shields. Their technique was sloppy, unrefined, and Persephone defended against them for a short amount of time. She finished them quickly, disarming one and following up with a shield bash to the head and the flat of her blade met the side of the other._

_Persephone heard the twang of a bows firing and quickly summoned water from the ocean to form a barricade around her. The arrows sunk harmlessly in the water shield, and with a flick of her wrist Persephone washed nine of the demigods back to camp, leaving only the leading son of Ares and her. _

_He stared defiantly, at her his eyes lighting on fire like miniature explosions causing Persephone to reel back in shock. "Ares," she hissed, her own eyes igniting in venomous green fire._

"_Brat," he responded, his form changing from the young boy to a bulky man in a spiked, black leather jacket with grey combat pant and boots. Sunglasses appeared on the bridge of his nose and a broadsword in his hands. "The gods have decreed you a threat, and as one, you must be …. eliminated." He cackled madly, charging the demigoddess. _

_He attempted an overhead swipe, but Persephone side stepped and slashed at him with her sword. He parried quickly, attempting to strike her with his fist afterwards. She dodged, and they continued their dance. Parry, swipe, dodge, block, no blow was landed by either opponent, their martial skills equal, but it was not with a sword that Persephone beat the war god when she was twelve, it was with power._

_She disappeared, using her powers over the night. Ares spun around, expecting her to strike behind his back, but Persephone had something slightly more devious. She willed the shadows around them to rise, taking a gaseous form, and shaped them to resemble her. She laughed, and the sound echoed out of each shadow clone._

_She willed them to draw blades of darkness, and let all her rage, her fury, guide them into ripping the war god to shreds. He fought valiantly, defeating shadow soldiers left and right, but they kept coming, kept rising from the darkness in an unrelenting storm. A blade slashed his soldier, but that was just the first. Cuts began to accumulate on his skin, leaking golden ichor on the grass. When one blade went through his stomach, Ares let out an agonized scream and let loose his godly glory._

_The sand they fought on was turned to glass, crystalline and perfect. Ares was on one knee, panting, his broadsword laying on the ground forgotten. His hands were braced over his wound in a futile attempt to stem the flow of ichor leaving his body. "Ha, neat trick girl. A cowards trick, but then again, cowards always run and let others do their work." He coughed up more ichor. "C'mon girlie, finish me! SHOW YOURSELF!" _

_Persephone was about to put the god out of his misery, when a flash of vibrant green light blinded her. When the spots left her vision, standing before the war god was a creature. Its form was a sort of green gas, which swept around itself making faces of people screaming in agony. Where Persephone thought the heart should be was a glowing green gem, which shown with great light. _

_It raised a hand, placing it upon Ares head. His eyes glowed gold, and golden smoke rose from his mouth and towards the glowing heart of the creature. Ares let out a gurgling cry, and then collapsed on the ground. His eyes were dull and he remained unmoving, not turning to dust, not disappearing before her eyes, just staying … dead. This creature had just killed a god._

_It turned to her and spoke, its voice scratchy and withering, "Fear not demigod, I will return his soul to him shortly. But first, we must talk." Persephone let the shadows concealing her fade. The creature spoke again, but this time the voice was that of a young woman. "Glad you could show yourself, now to business."_

_The figure crossed it gaseous arms, causing the vapor from the movement to form the face of a screaming woman. "I will give you power, a power that you need to face the comin' storm," it said, it's voice shifting halfway through to resemble that of an irish woman. Persephone snorted, when a being says that she "needs something" for a coming attack, they tend to have steep prices. "Indeed they do lass, but I offer no deceit. Powers have come into play, and they have begun wakening ancient things, things the gods have long forgotten. I am but the first."_

"_And what exactly are you?" Persephone inquired, listening intently to the apparition before her. _

_It responded, this time sounding like a german man, "I am Apex, vonderer, and keeper of zhe soul stone." Persephone raised her eyebrow, questioning him silently. The wraith noticed this and continued. "The soul stones are - vere - once the greatest individual power in zhe universe, the infinity stone, or othervise known az Chaos."_

_At this Persephone did a double take, obviously skeptical of such a claim. This, being, claimed to be a sliver of Chaos? But then again she did just witness it consume the soul of Ares. "You are skeptical, good, it keeps vone from making stupid mistakes," it said, and its voice changed this time, sounding clear and american. "My power is in the souls I have collected, the knowledge that they carry. And for the payment I ask in trade for my assistance, I require a hundred souls."_

"_What!" Persephone shouted, stunned by the price this creature of souls asked her. The being, Apex, raised its hands in a placating gesture._

"_The souls of what are up to you. Will you strike down your newly formed enemies here at camp? Or will you hunt the monsters that have plagued your existence? It is your choice, and neither parties deserve mercy." Persephone stared at Apex, deep in thought. She could take up this offer, hunt down a hundred monsters easily but over a long period of time, or lead a slaughter that very night against her traitorous friends. "You do not have much time, your brethren are taking up arms. They believe you've killed some of the campers."_

"_But I- They- Ugh!" she exclaimed exasperated. She put a hand to her forehead, her index finger and thumb on adjacent temples. "Fine, I'll collect souls for you, but I don't know how." She wasn't going to kill humans or demigods, not if she could help it._

"_I'll help with that, hand me your sword." She obliged Apex, handing Anaklusmos hilt first. It grasped the hilt, pulling it from her grasp with surprising strength. It's hand glowed green, and a webbing of green fire traced along the length of the blade, leaving smoldering lines with specks of green embers along the blade. Apex offered the sword back to Persephone. "All the souls you claim while wielding this sword will now come to me."_

_She took the offered blade, the only difference she felt was the power it contained. She was about to thank Apex, but he disappeared, leaving Persephone with a camp of angry demigods and a now waking war god at her feet. "Lovely," she said, before shadow travelling to Half-Blood Hill, where she was met with the greatest opposition of the night._

_Standing in a phalanax formation, was a group of campers, all veterans, and behind them was all her friends. Annabeth, her once greatest friend, spoke from behind the shield wall. "Give up Persephone, you won't be getting out. You must face justice."_

_Persephone drew the new Anaklusmos, which garnered shocked gasps from most of the campers. Her shield spiraled out from her watch, but she still held it down to her side. "Justice for what? I have done nothing, nothing but exist and fight to defend myself and those I care about." _

_Annabeth scoffed, "If you fought for your 'friends,' why are so many of us dead! It's your fault! It's always been your fault!" Persephone staggered back at the words as they echoed in her head, feeding the guilt, the blame she had carried for years. "You've already killed most of us, we have to fight for OUR survival! Attack!"_

_They engaged, Persephone crying as she defended herself from her friends who attacked her vindictively. She wouldn't strike back at them, only defending, sobbing the whole while. She was about to collapse, the emotional toll becoming too high, when a voice rang out over the battle. "STOP!"_

_Everyone froze, seeing who interrupted the battle. And to everyone's surprise, it was Grover Underwood. Standing straight, his reed pipes and club in hand, he trudged through the battle, and Persephone could imagine steam curling from his ears around his horns. He came face to face with Annabeth. "How could you? How? After all she's done for us! All she's sacrificed!"_

_Annabeth shoved him back, "All she's sacrificed? What about what we've given? What about Michael Yew? Luke? Beckendorf? Silena? What about them! They gave their lives so she could succeed! But all she did was kill more of us!" Annabeth was screaming at him, her anger rising. "Leave Grover, leave or join her. She must face justice."_

_Grover stood defiant against her, "This is not justice, this is not even revenge. This is chaos. She's saved the world twice, and if you can't remember that, I will." He stared down Annabeth, glaring fearlessly into her piercing grey eyes. _

_Annabeth looked down slightly, her voice softening, "I'm sorry Grover." The moment she finished the sentence, an arrow sprouted from his right shoulder. He gasped in pain, before collapsing. He looked behind Annabeth, seeing Will Solace holding an empty bow._

_Persephone screamed, the unearthly sound shaking the earth and causing the winds to rise as storm clouds formed. The shadows twisted, writhing in the places before slithering to their master. They joined with Persephone, dissipating her physical form into the realm of shadows, the only thing left truly visible was the fire in her eyes. With a roar and an earth shattering stomp, Persephone plunged the battlefield into darkness._

_Chaos ensued, people shouted to one another. The confusion quickly disappeared with the darkness, but horror quickly consumed them all. _

_For laying in the middle of the hill, was the soulless body of Will Solace, Anaklusmos embedded in his abdomen and Persephone's shield lying discarded next to him._

_Persephone though, had disappeared, leaving chaos in her wake._

_xXxXx_

Persephone woke up shivering, she was still on the floor of her shower, but in her unconscious fit she used her powers and froze the water solid. She willed it to thaw, and got dressed. Only one thought filled her mind:

_Only one thing left to do, I need to fulfill my promise with Apex._

**A/N: Hey all, sorry for the wait. Hope I've made up for it with the longer chapter. Took me awhile to figure out exactly how I wanted to take this story, and I have a pretty good grasp on what I'm going to do. Thanks for everyone's supports, and please read and review.**

**\- C.P. Nightshade**


	6. Chapter 6

_"__Living at risk is jumping off the cliff and building your wings on the way down."_

_~Ray Bradbury_

Annabeth Chase stared around the war room, observing the people crowded around the ping pong table. None of the usual antics that occurred were present. No bantering between her and Clarisse, no Piper needing to calm everyone down after a particularly rancid Stoll prank. No, everyone was somber, serious. _Come to think of it,_ she thought, _the last time everyone was this serious was during the Titan War against Kronos._

_Wow, _a secondary voice appeared in her head, _have we really come to think of Persephone so low as to compare her to Kronos? _She looked down at her hands, memorizing the lines and callouses and scars marring her palms. It was a habit she had developed recently after they had forcefully banished Persephone. She had stared at her hands for hours afterwards, wondering if there was any way the events that transpired could have changed. As she stared, she remembered everything she had ever done with these hands, from training with a dagger, to using it to kill opposing demigods in the Titan wars, to the blood that covered it after each battle, and how it stained her even to this day.

The daughter of Athena held no remorse for what had happened to Persephone though; the daughter of Poseidon had caused so much pain for all of them. Annabeth just wished it could have happened without the death of Will Solace. While she did not know him exceptionally well, his death was another unnecessary casualty of senseless violence. And it struck Nico di Angelo particularly hard, as apparently they were close friends, or maybe more, Annabeth wasn't sure. Her mind was preoccupied during that time.

She had hoped once Persephone had disappeared that they would be done with that for good, but the shadow wielder had proven that was not the case. The gods had found her, apparently fighting against the mortal Avengers Initiative. Annabeth had to admit that Persephone was powerful, but what she did not expect was for the gods to warn the demigods that they must hunt her down. Annabeth had thought that the superheroes could subdue her, especially with Thor, but apparently Persephone had found her staff which she had fought Gaia with all those years ago. The veterans of the war had rightfully dubbed it Persephone's "staff of terror." Not very creative, but the name conveyed the concept.

Now, she was on the loose, more powerful than they even realized, and possessed her most powerful weapon. _Or is it?_ the voice in her head asked. _Who's to say she's not making something more powerful? _Her internal voice resurrected the never ending doubt that plagued her mind, the skepticism that drove her to nervous fits of irrational fear and anger. It had been quiet for a while, but recent events had brought it back.

Annabeth was unable to continue the train of thought however, because at the time Chiron wheeled himself into the room. Annabeth was mildly surprised at his appearance. The usually calm and collected centaur looked haggard and unkempt. His hair was in knots and fell around his face in disheveled rows, his beard was wild and untrimmed reaching well down to his chest. His eyes were sunken and hollow, displaying a level of sadness Annabeth did not think possible.

The room was quiet as they stared at the centaur, waiting for him to speak. His weary eyes locked with Annabeth, and he spoke, his voice low and raspy. "As you know," he began, before coughing violently. "Persephone Jackson was seen last night doing battle with the mortal Avengers." The campers all nodded solemnly, remembering their once hero.

"The gods," he said, his voice gaining a slight tremble, before he sighed and started again in a smaller voice. "The gods have demanded her brought in for questioning. Hunting parties are to be assigned to your cabins tonight, while some of you will go to the Avengers and see if you can collaborate with them."

Annabeth looked at her hands quickly, before looking up and asking her ragged mentor a question softly, "Sir, if we go to the Avengers, should we tell them of our nature? Or should we make something up?"

Chiron stared at the wall, not looking at Annabeth as he responded. "Do what you think is best Annabeth..." He lowered his head, before maneuvering his wheelchair out of the room and to another spot in the Big House. The councilors stayed seated, waiting for Annabeth to speak, to develop a strategy of some sort, like she usually did.

But Annabeth just looked down at her hands, going over the lines and scars. She was content with just sitting there, letting the world move around her, but it was not to be. A gentle hand was placed on her shoulder; Annabeth looked up, meeting the dark eyes of Nico di Angelo.

"C'mon 'Beth, we need you," he began, his voice deeper than Annabeth had thought it should be. She still remembered when he was an exuberant, young boy, when his dark eyes lit up with the naive optimism of youth, especially when Persephone took to treating him like a little brother when Bianca left him for the hunters. How had that young and carefree boy changed into this serious and stern young man? How could the Fates be so cruel as to remove that light from his eyes?

Annabeth looked around, noticing the gaze of everyone in the room on them. Piper, Katie Gardner, even the Stolls gave her openly concerned looks. Clarisse and a young man everyone called Schmidt, who was the councilor for Apollo after the death of Will Solace and held the same generic blonde hair blue eyes as his sibling, gave her fierce looks, ready to take the fight to Persephone.

Jason Grace, who had remained in camp after the war with the Gigantes, held a stern face and stiff posture, but his eyes conveyed his empathy. To Annabeth, only Jason, Nico, and herself seemed to truly understand the events that had happened that night they exiled Persephone, the regret they felt for the consequences of their actions.

Out of everyone in the room, only two of the councilors were not looking at her. Leo Valdez sat in his chair, his hands idly tinkering with some unknown project. Ever since his miraculous return from the dead, and with the Titaness Calypso as his girlfriend, he had become even more of an enigma. The only people able to carry a conversation with him were Calypso, Piper, Hazel, and Reyna. Two of which were on the other side of the country. Persephone would often be seen with him before they kicked her out. They had gotten close over the short duration they knew each other, Leo finding that Persephone's recklessness and lack of concern for societal standards to be comical. The loss of his friend is probably why he didn't allow Annabeth anywhere near the mechanical shop or the forge. And why he never met her eyes without narrowing them in looking away in spite.

Leo had developed some pretty sophisticated weapons in his duration at Camp, which was unsurprising considering he was the greatest mechanic anyone alive knew, par maybe tony Stark. He had developed automated turrets which fired celestial bronze core bullets, and was currently working overtime on a new vehicle for Camp transportation.

The other councilor not looking at Annabeth was Lou Ellen, who stared at the wall, her dark violet eyes distant. Her black hair was streaked with dark red strands, and she seemed to radiate a certain level of… _clarity_ that made other demigods shiver. Lou could be perfectly fine, actually quite amiable, and then she would suddenly get a far-off expression, completely leaving reality. She never explained what it was, simply stating that it was "not her choice to make." Annabeth didn't bother to feign understanding.

"Nico, you, me, and Piper will head to the Avengers," Annabeth began, the plan formed in her mind quickly, but she no longer felt the exhilaration in giving orders, no, that feeling had long faded into melancholy. "Schmidt, Clarisse, and the Stolls, you four coordinate with Malcolm and get hunting parties assigned and sectored. The rest of you, tell your cabin mates what's happening and have everyone suit up for battle. We've got a do this quickly before she realizes how much pressure is on her and she either flees or decides to decimate New York."

As the councilors filed out in a hurry, except for Leo and Lou, who took their own leisurely pace out of the room, and Nico who stayed behind with Annabeth. "You know this will probably be worse than last time right?" He asked her, crossing his arms. His dark hair fell just above his eyes. "She didn't go down at all last time. And she was holding back. What's to say she won't attack us instead this time?"

Annabeth looked him in the eyes, her dull grey irises meeting his cool, broken black ones. She didn't need to speak any words; her drooping shoulders and dead look spoke everything necessary to carry her thoughts to Nico. _I know_, she said, a blonde hair fell loose of her sloppy pony tail _and that's what scares me so much._ Nico nodded, placing a protective hand on her shoulder before leaving the room.

Annabeth stared at the ceiling, watching as the fan spun ever so slowly. Her heart felt heavy, her bones were lead and her breath acid. A choked sound escaped her lips, before she collapsed in her chair sobbing. She continued to sob as she continued to slide down her chair. _Where did my hope go?_ She cried to herself mentally. _Why can't I dream? Where is my ambition? Where is Elpis for me?_

xXxXx

Miles away, a figure clad in brown robes sat tending to the Hearth. Here on Olympus, Hestia waited, patient as ever. She watched her flames intently, seemingly oblivious to the flash of light behind her. But Hestia was old, and more experienced than her youthful appearance suggested. "Elpis," Hestia's voice was soft yet strong, a comforting flame that hid the dragon beneath.

An angelic figure stood behind her, before approaching the goddess of the Hearth. The figure was female, and looked as if someone had bleached all the color from a normal human. Clothed in only a pure white chiton, the figures smooth, alabaster skin covered a thin, lithe body. Silky, shiny, silvery white hair cascaded in delicate waves around a smooth face. Pale lips smiled slightly, revealing pearlescent teeth. Glassy, pale blue eyes shone brightly on the figures face, illuminating the seraphic beauty.

"Milady Hestia," Elpis greeted the youthful figure, bowing slightly in respect to the goddess. Her voice was soft, yet it resonated through the goddess' body. "You know what must happen."

The goddess sighed, turning to face the embodiment of hope. Hestia did know, and she was powerless to stop it. Yet it did not mean she would enjoy it, to watch the rift between her family members grow. "I know Elpis," Hestia responded, her voice somber. "I just wish you could help the other demigods as well."

Elpis' eyes turned hard as steel, the rare episode of anger she would display. "You know why I will not help those _swine,_" her voice was venom, and wings of ivory fire rose behind. "They nearly _murdered_ my courier, my champion! They will not get any hope from me, not until I fly with Andrestia and my champion in retribution!"

Hestia sighed, waving her hand towards the hearth absentmindedly, stoking the flames. "As you will Elpis, just remember that war destroys hope. If you follow this path, you may very well destroy yourself in the process."

"I know Hestia, but some tasks are worth the risk," Elpis replied. "And you and I both know that sometimes you must fight for what you think is right." And with that, Elpis' wings wrapped around herself before she disappeared into a flash of white light.

"I just hope you're right," Hestia spoke softly, returning to the hearth. "For all our sakes…"

xXxXx

Lou Ellen stared at the ceiling of her cabin, watching the runes engraved on the ceiling glow and swirl around in mystical patterns. She was alone in the cabin, and besides the rumors of another child of Hecate, Lou was fairly certain he would not be showing up in Camp Half-Blood. The dark obsidian colored stones of the walls pulsed with a barely tangible spell, one that Lou helped create. No unwanted visitors, eavesdroppers, or vagabonds of the such.

Due to her being an only child at camp, only one bed sat in the cabin. With the low light of the room, the only source of visibility was the runes leaving everything with a slight purple tint. The bed spread, the nightstands, wardrobes, trunks, and the various sets of potions, pig bombs, and magical items that were littered throughout the room.

Lou was currently lying on her bed, her red and black hair splayed out behind her head. She weaved her hand in the air, misty tendrils forming runes and symbols. Her eyes glowed slightly, a far off expression on her face. No one knew the full scale of her powers, that she could gaze into the crossroads and see people on their paths. So she smiled happily when she witnessed the choices of a certain spirit of hope, and also her champion.

So it was no surprise to her when, in a flash of light, none other than Persephone Jackson appeared in her room. Without moving, Lou spoke with a smile on her face, "So, you ready for some retribution Persephone?"

The daughter of Poseidon moved in front of Lou's bed, where she noticed a slight differentiation to the young woman. Instead of pure, inky black hair, there were blood red strands casing her face. And in her emerald eyes, lay flashes of deep, violet amethyst. Persephone replied to Lou viciously, "Oh I am more than ready."

**A/N:**

**Sorry for the wait everyone, I have no excuses except one: life. So yeah, read and review. I'm alive and kickin' and will write when I can.**


	7. Chapter 7

"_Reality is easy. It's deception that's the hard work."_

_~ Lauryn Hill_

It wasn't the smoothest explanation Persephone realized, having to explain to Lou just _how _she managed to change her appearance to mimic Lou's so closely. The only differences seen between the two would be their builds. Persephone was an inch or two taller than Lou, and her frame was considerably more lithe and predatory than the witch's. But still, to try and convince her that every change was thanks to one Titaness, or more specifically the girl's mother Hecate, was a difficult task.

The Titaness and Persephone held a relationship of mutual respect. Hecate didn't help the gods try and find her, and Persephone swore to leave her, her children, and her creations alone. So when the Titaness of witchcraft came to her with a proposition to help her retrieve her sword, who is she to turn down the offer?

_Persephone came too in her shower - albeit the shower and the entirety of her bathroom was frozen solid. Coils of the clear, cold substance hung suspended in the air and the floor was dusted with a thin sheen of powdery snow, as if someone had set of a liquid nitrogen bomb in then frozen the effects in time. Persephone admired the beauty from her position sprawled on the floor, before the emotions from the flashback converged on her with unrelenting brutality._

_With an angry snarl, Persephone thawed the room, imagining all her fears and doubts dispersing with the water down the drain. She breathed in and willed herself dry before moving towards her sink. Leaning over it, she stared at herself in the mirror. Her hair was a mess, hanging around in tangled strands and dark circles surrounded her shattered, emerald eyes. Sighing in frustration, she grabbed a nearby brush and began to try and untangle her hair, grimacing as the bristles struggled to undo the knots._

_After a few more minutes of futile struggling, Persephone threw the brush down in frustration. Making her way out of the bathroom, Persephone was still lost in thought. She regretted having to kill Will. She truly did. For days after she had left, she barely ate anything, her guilt devouring her from the inside out. And for months she had almost given up completely, it was only when Nyx whispered in her ear, giving her purpose once again, did she start to recover. _

_She had started searching for other demigods, either unclaimed or those who decided to leave camp. She would track them, their tendencies to attract monsters and trouble alike made them easy targets for those who knew what to look for. But she also knew she had to be careful. There was no doubt in her mind that while she sought out these unknowns, that Camp and the Gods would be hunting her as well._

_She had found a handful of demigods over the years, some with parents from the council and some who were descendants of lesser known deities. Six total people, and four of them too young and inexperienced to make it far on their own. Persephone couldn't leave them to face the world unprepared on good conscious. So she did the obvious action at the time. She trained them. She adopted the guise of a servant of the Gods and claimed to be sent by their parents to assist them in dealing with monsters before they made their way to camp._

_She focused primarily on weapon training with the youngbloods, but made sure they were educated on the different gods and goddesses, which ones were quick to anger and which ones might assist them. Persephone taught them which monsters they could beat, and which ones that they could not. And afterwards, she started them on the trail to camp leaving them with one last thing, a phrase for them to remember: "Night harbors honest intentions."_

_The two others she had encountered were both fully aware of their demigod status and had decided to make a life for themselves out in the real world rather than hide at Camp. One wanted nothing to do with her or the mythological world, and Persephone left him feeling discontent with how things turned out. Thankfully the other demigod was a bit more cooperative with her._

_Jacob Ruck, a son Demeter who made a living in biological research. He excelled in mythological research, discovering weaknesses in monsters and potency of different substances on demigod blood. Of course, he hid this research under his incredible understanding of botany. When they first met, Jacob drew a dagger and a syringe on her before they decided to to talk. Now, Persephone has an easy supply on special demigod painkillers and medicine when she couldn't obtain any ambrosia and nectar for her healing._

_Now, she had a new purpose. She was determined to retrieve Anaklusmos from its position at Camp Half-Blood, and she expected to have to do it alone. So with a disgruntled sigh, Persephone made her way out of the bathroom and into her bedroom. She began to search through her dressers, looking for some adequate clothing to go out tonight. _Maybe I should visit Jacob for some meds, grab some food, and begin making a plan of attack_, she thought._

"_That won't be necessary dear," a female voice spoke from behind her. Instantly, the exiled demigoddess whirled around, shadows coalescing in her hand as her staff appeared. The end of the staff was already in motion on a collision path for the intruders temple, but before it could connect, a flash of energy blocked the staff sending it rebounding backwards. "That's enough of that Persephone, I am not here for conflict."_

_Agitated, Persephone took a closer look at the unwanted woman in her appartment. Fierce, violet eyes stared back at her. An elegant, yet regal bun of deep, red hair rested upon her head. It took a few moments for Persephone to recognize the woman in front of her. "Hecate," she said, her voice even. The most recent news involving Hecate had been vague and uninformed, but implied that Hecate wasn't happy with Olympus currently. "So you're hounding me for Olympus now too?"_

_The Titanesses' eyes flared, irritation radiating from her being. "Do not presume I answer to those pompous fools. They have little respect for any of the Titanomachy, and they treat any who acknowledge themselves as a Titan beneath them." She moved across the room, seeming to glide above the cheap carpet as if she was above touching such a mundane thing. She spared the dusty, old chair in the corner of the room a quick, disgusted glance, and with a snap of her fingers morphed it into a plush recliner and sat down. "No I am here to offer you my assistance."_

_Persephone regarded the Titaness closely, her emerald eyes boring into Hecate's violet orbs. "And how exactly would you help?"_

_Hecate smiled fiercely, her eyes alight with a vicious, predatory fire. "I would get you into camp unnoticed, and also provide you with a way to retrieve your sword." Persephone raised an eyebrow, waiting for further explanation. "I am the Titaness of the Crossroads demigod, I know when an important decision is made."_

"_And what will it cost me?" There's always a catch._

"_You leave my children out of this. They did not slight you when you left, and they hold no grudge towards you."_

_Persephone pursed her lips in thought. She could keep the children of Hecate out of her fight. Lou hadn't fought against her, she had no reason to fight her. So she stuck out her hand to the Titaness and said, "You've got yourself a deal."_

_Hecate clasped her hand, and then they began._

Lou Ellen looked at her, her vibrant eyes piercing through Persephone. Persephone shuffled her feet uncomfortably. "Uh...Hec-..." she stammered awkwardly and let out a short cough. "Your mom sent me."

Lou Ellen's gaze didn't falter. "I know," she said sagely, with an air of omniscience around her.

"Okay…" responded Persephone. "Well I'm here for-"

"Anaklusmos, I know."

"-my sword…" Persephone eyed her suspiciously. Continuing, she began, "Well I need to know what defenses are-"

At the same time Lou stated, "Two sentries are stationed around the sword at all times. An alarm system has been installed for the instant the sword is touched, and Leo has installed a new automated turret system that overwatches the area and is activated with the alarm."

"-put in place..." Persephone finished. She sighed and pinched her nose. "Lemme guess: Hecate."

"Yes," Lou responded simply. She and Persephone made eye contact before both simultaneously blurting out:

"Spinach!"

"Chickadees!"

"Kanye 2020!"

"Stop reading my mind!"

"Blue spaghetti!"

"Gahh!"

There was a pregnant pause where neither of them said anything, the only sound being the exasperated breathing of the disguised infiltrator. Their eyes locked, Lou's pure amethyst eyes glinting with mirth and Persephone's emerald orbs flashing with annoyance. Persephone raised one eyebrow, Lou mimicking the movement. "You finished?" the daughter of Poseidon asked.

"Yup," Lou responded cheekily, a cheeky grin plastered on her face.

"Good," Persephone replied. "Is there any more relevant information? Like who is on sentry duty right now?"

"Oh you don't need to worry about the demigods here," Lou started, waving her hand in a dismissive gesture. "All the experienced demigods - the veterans and such - are all out looking for you. Chase, Nico, and Jason are going to the Avengers while the others are out scouring the streets for you. The only veteran here is Leo, who isn't very supportive of the bounty on your head anyways."

Persephone was stunned. Were they so desperate to find her that they left the camp practically unguarded? Annabeth had to know that they did not have any new campers who could hope to match her in combat. Persephone was even more wary now. Did Annabeth leave traps or contingencies behind just in case she returned?

"I'm not worried about the sentries," started Persephone, a contemplative look upon her face. "But how am I going to get past the turrets?" The daughter of Poseidon knew that Leo was a genius inventor, but if was able to create a functioning automated turret system that used Celestial Bronze then he was even better than she thought.

"They're mechanical, but the only people who have control of them are Leo, Annabeth, and Chiron. You're best bet is to go quickly before either of them can react," Lou responded.

_Well that's swell_, Persephone thought. Annabeth would be quick to figure out what was happening back at camp, that fact was unquestionable. Persephone would pray to Hermes for speed, but praying to the gods that wanted her dead seemed like an unwise decision, even if Hermes was one of her favorites. _At least I can shadow travel out of here_.

"Alrighty, sounds like this will go smoothly," Persephone said sarcastically. She knew better than to expect that anything she is involved with will go smoothly. At least this time Persephone at least had the slim advantage of surprise on her side. "Oh and Lou?"

The witch merely raised a delicate eyebrow at the daughter of Poseidon.

"Keep your head down until this storm has blown over," she began, her eyes lighting with a faint fire of desire. "And when this is over, come find me. I imagine that we can have a better time than this when in such close proximity to a bed."

Lou's eyes lost their distant gaze as a similar fire to Persephone's ignited in her's as well. "I'll hold you to it," Lou said, a playful smirk playing on her lips.

With a quick laugh and a smirk of her own, Persephone exited the Hecate cabin. One way or another, she was leaving this camp with Anaklusmos in her hands.

xXxXx

"_Sir, there are three adolescents at the main entrance asking for the Avengers_," the A.I. Jarvis said to his creator. Tony Stark was currently working on refurbishing the main lounge of the Avengers after the battle with Persephone. He was replacing the windows with the help of his inventions when Jarvis interrupted him.

Tony sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "What is with teenagers these days?" he muttered to himself, before speaking to Jarvis, "What do they want Jarvis?"

After a slight pause, the intelligence responded, "_They claim to have knowledge of one Persephone Jackson_." Jarvis placed a feed of the main lobby before Tony, where he saw a curly blonde California girl, a goth looking guy with dark hair and pale skin, and a guy with short cut blonde hair and a stern expression. All three of them wore similar outfits.

The girl had wore jeans and a bright orange shirt that read _Camp Half-Blood_. She was pulling back her hair into a ponytail when Tony caught sight of the necklace around her neck. An assortment of clay beads adorning the small strip of leather. Tony couldn't make out what was on them at the moment, but they definitely piqued his interest. They seemed so familiar.

The goth guy wore black jeans and a black leather jacket. The orange shirt beneath shined like a beacon and it was identical to the blond girls. He too had a necklace with beads, though he had far fewer than the girl.

The blond guy seemed like a miniature version of Captain America. Military cut blond hair, piercing blue eyes that shown even through the camera. He had a small scar on his lips. His clothes were slightly different. His shirt was a deep purple with no identifying marks. He wore jeans, but he did not have a necklace. Instead, Tony noticed that he had a tattoo on the inside of his forearm with some unidentifiable marks.

Tony took a few moments to process the name given, but then it clicked. They knew of the girl. _The _girl. Something that they had not yet accomplished. Tony had Jarvis attempting to run a facial recognition on Persephone, but apparently her face was constantly obscured by some sort of fog and he couldn't get a good picture. A fact that irked Tony to no end. To find out who she was… Tony _had _to know.

"Send them up Jarvis, and alert Natasha, Clint, and Steve," said Tony. Caution was to be exercised. If they knew this Persephone Jackson, then there was a chance that they too could have powers. And with three of them, they needed to be prepared. He would have Thor with them, but he was dealing with Loki's containment and avoiding Tony's calls.

It took less than five minutes for the Avengers minus Banner and Thor to arm themselves and meet in the lounge. After Natasha walked in with a miniature arsenal of both lethal and nonlethal weaponry, the elevator sounded and three teenagers walked out.

They stood there, awkwardly facing each other. This close, Tony could make out some details he missed on the footage. The girl had stern grey eyes that possessed the inquisitive nature of Tony's own eyes and the fierceness of Natasha's, while somehow mixing in the tired wisdom Tony remembered seeing in Banner's. The goth's eyes seemed even darker than before, like staring into an abyss. He possessed the same exhausted expression Tony would see Clint wearing after the alien invasion. Lastly, the blond military man's eyes had more in common with Thor's than Captain's, as they radiated power and seemed to crackle with electricity.

"So…" Tony began, trying to break the ice. He picked up a bowl of popcorn from the nearby table. "Popcorn anyone?"

The teenagers said nothing. Natasha facepalmed.

"Okay then, more for me," Tony continued. "Names?"

The three teenagers made eye contact with each other, a silent conversation going between them. The blond girl stepped forward.

"Annabeth Chase," she said.

"Nico di Angelo," said the goth.

"Jason Grace," said Thor 2.0.

"Tony Stark, but I guess you already knew that since you're in my tower and all," replied Tony. His face grew more serious. "Now tell me what you know of Persephone Jackson."

**A/N: Thank everyone who is still here, reading this as I post them. And I am a terrible person. I apologized last time for the long update time, and I'll do it again next time I post, whenever that may be. I've struggled making time to write this, as my schedule is busy. I've got college apps, summer homework, two jobs, baseball, football, a girlfriend, and a social life to try and balance. I'm fighting through all of that in conjecture with a case of insomnia and mild depression. I know I'm not special in this case at all, and don't ask for any pity, just for understanding as to why it is taking me so long to write and post these chapters. For everyone who still follows me and still leaves reviews saying how much you love this story or question you still have, thank you. Everytime I see the notification it brings a smile to my face, knowing that I could hopefully do the same for you. Anywho, that's enough about me. Let me know what you thought of the chapter, and I'll work on the next one as I can.**

**Peace,**

**C.P. Nightshade**


	8. Chapter 8

"Madness is rare in individuals - but in groups, parties, nations, and ages it is the rule"

~Friedrich Nietzsche

Tony supposed the kids could be useful. Typically, he was against the use of the younger generation, preferring they stay as far away from the collateral damage caused by working with an ex-weapons manufacturer and the Avengers, but the looks these kids held was not that of someone barely a legal adult. Their steeliness reminded him of Nat or Steve, that of a survivor who did not escape unschathed.

Currently, the kids were sitting on the couch in the main lounge area in the tower. The other Avengers were scattered across the still semi-destroyed room. The windows had been replaced, along with the doors, but the furniture was still not 100% repaired and thus a few cardboard boxes replaced the table in the middle of the room. It wasn't fancy, but it sufficed.

The blonde girl, Annabeth, leaned forwards placing her elbows on her knees. She was constantly scanning the room, taking note of everything from Clint trying to make coffee to Natasha and Fury's constant gaze. She took a deep breath before asking them all, "So what do you want to know?"

Fury spoke up first, "How about who she is and how does she have powers?"

At this, the goth, Nico, responded. "Persephone Jackson, age 20, daughter of Sally Jackson, who lives in Manhattan. She-"

"No father?" Tony interrupted. The group shared a look, a silent agreement passing between them. The interaction caused all the spies in the room to raise questioning eyebrows and give them expecting looks.

"She doesn't know who her father is, and she was never able to figure it out," Annabeth replied, their group having come to the mutual decision to not reveal their heritage if preventable.

Tony noticed Natasha's eyes narrowed ever so slightly, her not trusting these kids. If they knew who Persephone was, then more than likely they know how she had her powers. Tony knew Natasha's years in espionage and subterfuge had trained her to take notice of how people acted, especially when they tried to hide something. She could smell out a rat in a heartbeat, and these kids, these kids reeked of secrets, so much so that Tony could practically taste it.

"How did she receive her powers?" questioned Steve, his voice still slightly edged after being defeated by the girl.

"She's had them since birth," was Annabeth's response. "That is all she ever told us before she betrayed us."

This was news to Tony. So these people, these young adults, were her friends at one time. And Jackson had betrayed them… Somehow Tony felt that the there was more than a simple betrayal.

"She was once our friend, loyal beyond belief, but then she intentionally led a lot of our friends to their deaths before murdering others in cold blood," said the goth. "Those she murdered included my boyfriend, Will, and-"

Nico was caught off by the high pitch whining of an alarm. Startled, many of the Avengers drew their weapons, until Annabeth stood abruptly holding a phone that was flashing with a red light. She turned and told Nico and Jason, "We need to leave, the Excalibur alarm went off. She went back for her weapon."

Nico and Jason nodded, standing to leave. Fury, however, was having none of it. Stepping in front of the door, he asked them sinisterly, "And where do you think you're going?" They moved to step around him, but Natasha and Steve joined him in walling off the door.

They sighed, then suddenly broke into a sprint towards the balcony, similar to how Persephone escaped. Not willing to let kids escape him again, Tony quickly intervened. "J.A.R.V.I.S close down the balcony, activate the blast sealing!"

The teens were now mere feet away from the exit when metal blast doors slammed down from above, sealing them inside and away from the dreary midday New York City. Backed into a corner, the Avengers minus Thor surrounded them. Fury pulled a chair up, and sat in front of them. "Now, you are going to tell us everything. Starting with who you really are."

Silence reigned. The kids shared looks with each other, a silent conversation going between them. Now that Tony thought about it, if these people said Persephone was born with her powers, and that she led them, does that mean they also have powers? It was in the same moment as his epiphany that the kids locked hands and disappeared into the shadows behind them.

Tony broke the following silence with a quick, "I called it!"

(`)(')

Camp Half-Blood was currently in disarray. It was the middle of the evening, and most campers were at the pavilion when the alarm sounded. All it took was a shout from one of the younger demigods stating "She's here!" for the demigods to enter panic mode. Everyone scrambled for their weapons, rushing outside towards the beach where Anaklusmos still lay imbedded into the ground. Many of the elder campers had already left, leaving the primary defensive power to the few elder campers who were not out searching for Persephone.

However, none were equal to Persephone in martial skill, or raw power. Only a few held hopes to keep up with her for a short time one on one, and even fewer would test their luck.

The few councillors still remaining quickly convened outside the ring of cabins, armed and armored. Leo, Piper, Katie Gardener, and Lou Ellen quickly gathered together, worry clearly etched on their faces.

"Leo," began Piper, her beautiful and flawless features contrasted sharply by the terror held in her eyes. She wore standard leather armor, and had Katoptris strapped to her thigh. "Please tell me you've got those automated defenses up and running."

Leo had changed the most over the years since the second giant war. He had mellowed out quite a bit, though still held his cheeky attitude at times. And only with those close to him. He still had his signature toolbelt, but in addition he had taken up forging some celestial bronze armor pieces for himself. Namely greaves and bracers, as his ball-peen hammers allowed for only so much defense, and by utilizing the bracers as a last resort shield he could hold his own much longer. The greaves helped him defend his weakest area when fighting, as his fighting style did not allow his lower legs much defense.

Moving frantically, he quickly pulled out a small electronic device from his pocket. Activating it, he moved his fingers deftly over the screen before responding. "All systems are still online, however something is interfering with the recognition software. It's saying that it is Lou here down on the beach," he said, gesturing to the daughter of Hecate.

The councillors eyes all quickly trained on the Hecate camper, the gazes inquisitive. "How particular," was her simple response, her amethyst eyes twinkling. There was a pregnant pause.

Katie was the first to break the silence. "Leo, obviously Lou is here with us. I thought you said the software was top of the line."

The latino elf gave a frustrated noise as he continued operating the device. "It is!" he cried, "Something must be interfering with the feed, everything is all hazy, like there some kind of fog hanging over the person. Almost like-"

"Mist," the four councillors said simultaneously.

"Dang it, the software isn't equipped to deal with this amount of mist," Leo said exasperated. "It was difficult enough as is to detect a lesser monster with it, but never has it been tried against a demigod."

He sighed, and ran his hand through his hair. He reached into his toolbelt and pulled out 3 ear pieces and handed them to the girls around him. "Take these, I need to go back to the Hephaestus Cabin and reconfigure the turrets," he explained. The girls put the earpieces on, before dashing over to help the campers.

"Just leave it to me to save the day again, yay Team Leo," he deadpanned. With a final sigh he made his way over to his cabin. Not much had changed externally since when he arrived, but Hephaestus kids weren't known for being vain. Aphrodite campers had enough vanity to go around and then some.

Upon entering his cabin, Leo immediately went to the center of the room where his bed lie. Activating a nearby panel, the circular platform with his bed on it lowered into the signature "Leo Cave."

Upon entering, a voice rang out from all sides, greeting Leo. "Hello McShizzle," said the voice. "Systems are running at ninety-six percent, and there is a critical error in the targeting software for the A.M.D. turrets."

A.M.D. was Leo's uncreative acronym for the Autonomous Monster Defense, which consisted of a variety of celestial bronze turrets - one of his most valued creations. However, his real pride and joy was the voice that had spoken to him. He called it C.A.L.I. It was both a nod towards his amazing girlfriend Calypso, and also another acronym standing for Creative Autonomous Learning Intelligence.

Cali was more than an artificial intelligence in Leo's mind. He's heard about Tony Stark's A.I. butler named Jarvis, and it inspired him to make one even better. Cali was self adaptive, able to freely form new and innovative solutions on her own. Leo wasn't sure whether it was his divine blood or his own genius that allowed him to create the self manipulating algorithm, but either way he wouldn't complain.

"Cali, recommendations on how to solve the issue?" Leo asked. There was a short pause.

"Currently the concentration of mist is making it unable for me to properly acquire the target, and confirm identity. Best solution would be to take manual control and operate through video feed," replied to A.I. Leo nodded and told Cali to open up the video feed and activate manual controls.

The screens along the wall changed from the multiple feeds and data screens to four distinct feeds all facing the scene which was unfolding topside. Four different targeting apparatuses appeared, similar to that of a cheesy FPS game. Leo stepped back as four different consoles rose around him, all synced with the different turrets the feeds shown.

The feeds shown a scene Leo hopped to have never seen. The figure looked stunningly similar to Lou Ellen. Same red streaks in the hair, but the violet eyes were flecked with emerald green, and this figure was taller, leaner, and more physically imposing. Also, she lacked the mystical certainty Lou always seemed to posses. Also, the figure wore a black short sleeve shirt and dark jeans, not the orange Camp Half-Blood tee's everyone else wore. The figure, its outline clearly marking it a she, moved her hand to grasp the hilt. No one had been able to move the sword, and everyone who had tried had their hands burned and were in the infirmary for a week, but Leo watched with dread as the girl firmly grabbed the handle without being burnt.

In a moment very reminiscent of the Excalibur, the look-alike slowly withdrew the sword from its place in the ground. At the same time, dozens of campers surrounded the figure with their weapons ready, Lou, Piper, and Katie standing in the front, the only senior campers present besides Leo.

Piper took an extra step forwards, living up to his nickname for her as she stood confident and immaculate before the doppelganger, Katoptris at the ready. "Persephone," Piper stated. The four syllables dropped like lead in Leo's stomach. He knew it had to be her, of course he did. No one else could have touched her sword. But their was no satisfaction in the knowledge.

Persephone turned towards Piper, her signature smirk plastered on her face as her eyes twinkled with mischief. "Hey Piper, long time no see! Where's Superman and Company? I thought you would've been with them."

Leo had to give credit to the Beauty Queen, she didn't waver at Persephone's uncaring persona. "They're around," she responded stiffly. "And we thought I'd be better here as a peacekeeper and help everyone remain calm, charmspeak and all that jazz. Send the more powerful fighters after you. You've been causing quite the headache for us these past week. Why have you come back?"

"Oh you know, the weather was just amazing and I couldn't pass up the opportunity to go out on a walk!" Persephone began happily, brandishing her sword so it rested over her shoulder.

"So you came back to Camp," Piper said incredulously.

Persephone looked around, before shrugging and replying with false innocence, "Oops."

Piper glared at her and took a step forward. "You don't get to say 'oops' after what you've done," she growled at the daughter of Poseidon, who returned her glare in kind.

"And what exactly have I done?" came the exiled demigod's retort.

"You injured countless demigods and killed Will Solace in cold blood!" shouted the daughter of Aphrodite.

"He shot Grover first, and if I recall you were all ready to kill me," was the calm reply.

"So you murdered him and then just left?" Piper shook her head in exasperation, continuing without even giving the daughter of Poseidon a chance to reply. "I see it clearly now, it was all just a game to you. You never got close to anyone, cause no one mattered to you. All you wanted was to come out the hero, and you sacrificed everyone around you to achieve it. Heck, you probably jest wanted to spite the gods again by refusing immortality just to be a thorn in their sides for as long as you can. I mean after everyone else is left broken in the dirt, you stand triumphant even after Tartarus, gaining more power with each day as you walk across our shattered bodies."

The daughter of Poseidon stared at the daughter of Aphrodite, her face an emotionless mask. Slowly, she started shaking her head, a rueful smile gracing her lips. "I guess it is for the best that I played off everything so casually back then and distanced myself. Made this hurt less," she replied, before her smirk returned and she quipped, "Granted it still feels like a million knives being stabbed into my soul every time, but hey, a million is still less than a million and one."

Piper was about to retort when Persephone stopped her dead with a glare. The anger was visible in her eyes, literally. Green flame burned in her eye sockets, and the darkness around her rippled dangerously. "You think I gained this power by throwing you all to the wolves? Do you honestly think I did not suffer in Tartarus? Let me tell you something princess," she snarled before disappearing into her own shadow, appearing directly behind the native demigod. "Tartarus is hell."

Piper whirled around startled, bring Katoptris in a deadly arc to stab shadow wielding demigod. Much to Leo's shock, and everyone else's astonishment. Piper's dagger stopped dead mere centimeters away from Persephone. The daughter of Aphrodite's face contorted with pain, her eyes wide with agony. Persephone's face was hidden in a sinister shadow as darkness rippled around her. Her eyes glowed dangerously through the building shroud of night, and for the first time in a very long time, Leo felt pity for a creature.

What had caused his reckless, fun-loving, adrenaline junkie, bubbly, and vulgar friend to turn into this being of utter darkness? He noticed her change after Tartarus, and not just in the way everyone else had due to her flaming eyes and shadow powers. No, her eyes had lost their normal twinkle, the happiness seemed to have left her smile. Sure, she could put up a strong façade for the others, but Leo noticed.

Now he just wish he did something about it.

Leo's focus was brought back to the scene before him when Piper collapsed onto the ground, gasping and coughing. Her form quivered in shock, before she turned to her side and vomited. Still, Beauty Queen looked stunning as she stood back up defiantly on shaky legs, Katoptris held in a white knuckle grasp beside her. Her next words were spat with a mixture of anger and terror. "What did you do to me?" she demanded.

Persephone chuckled darkly. "Did you like it?" she asked darkly. "It's a little something I discovered in Tartarus. Being a daughter of Poseidon means I can control more than just water, but in fact all liquids."

She stood tall, rolling her shoulders. "Discovered that when the goddess of despair splashed poison all over me. Agonizing really, but eight out of ten for the worst pain I've felt," she said casually, as if she was talking about a new clothing store she had found. "Fun fact about Tartarus, the very air you breath is poison. The cure? Drinking from the Phlegethon, the river of fire. When I fell into the Pit, I landed in the Cocytus. The river of Lamentation, where a single drop can drive someone into suicidal depression, as millions of despairing voices tell you to give up and simply. Just. Die."

She chuckled again, shaking her head. "I suppose it would've been a blessing if I just drowned in that gods forsaken river. But no, I couldn't have let that happen. I had to get back, I had to save the world, again. I had to endure Tartarus alone just so those that I cared about wouldn't die."

"The Fates had to be rolling on their wrinkled asses as I trekked across the body of the Pit. Before I found the Phlegethon, I was weak, stumbling aimlessly as the toxins of the Pit slowly dissolved my strength. Even then, the Phlegethon simply kept me from dieing, not from being weakened. Monsters were everywhere, and if it weren't for my twisted form of good luck I would've died down there."

"I lost two good friends to the Pit. And had to endure Akhlys simply to escape. When she splashed poison on me, I was so weak, so helpless," she said, tears of flame trailing down the side of her face. "In that moment, I broke. I was so close, I couldn't abandon everyone when they were right. Fucking. There. I used everything I had, feeling around me for any power I could use. The poison responded, peeling itself off my beaten body and flying towards the goddess."

Piper's face slowly became more horrified as Persephone continued her story. Her eyes were cloudy, anger and grief and confusion storming within her kaleidoscope eyes. Leo didn't blame her. How much had his friend endured on their behalf alone. "Then it clicked in my mind, I could control all liquid. I reached out, seizing control of the ichor within the immortal, and pulled her apart. I hear her cries of agony every night I close my eyes."

Piper fell to her knees, and all the surrounding demigods had backed off warily, fear clear in the stature. Persephone leaned down into Piper's face. "After it was all said and done, I still suffered. I endured hell, alone, to save everyone standing on this green earth. And afterwards? I was still alone," the venom placed on the last word could have put a basilisk to shame. "The seven all had someone to lean on, someone that could be there for you. Except me. You had Jason, Leo had found Calypso, Hazel had Frank, Annabeth had her mother and architecture, and I was forgotten."

"Then you all attacked, probably by some pea-brained scheme by Ares. And we all know where things went from there." Persephone stood back to her full height before shadows coalesced around her. "And as much fun as this has been, I have other things to do then dredge up old memories. Peace."

With those words, Persephone capped Riptide and placed her weapon in her pocket. She walked towards the crowd of demigods, a challenge in her burning eyes. They shifted out of her way nervously, creating a pathway through the crowd. She walked past them, darkness shifting around her in waves.

Once she passed through the demigods, she began moving towards the forest and the darkness provided by the towering trees. She passed by the final line, before she suddenly sprung forwards and into a role. At the same time a black sword passed right by where she last stood. Emerging from the shadows of the back line was a furious Nico di Angelo, with Jason and Annabeth flanking him on both sides. All three had their weapons drawn and at the ready.

Persephone stood, straightening her clothes and dusting them off. She turned around to face her assailants. "Hello Nico, is that how you greet your cousin?" she asked sarcastically, before turning her attention to the other two. "Annabeth and Jason, well there's two more of the seven. I imagine Frank and Hazel are over in California for now, but where does that leave Leo?"

Leo shifted his hands around the consoles before him, before hitting a button and a microphone popped out. "I'm here Aqua Girl, don't worry. Wouldn't miss this party for the world."

Persephone snorted, giving her head a bitter shake in the process. "Good to see you're still as mature as a ten-year-old McGreasy. So what contraptions have you built now?"

Leo chuckled in his control room, glad that it appeared she wasn't on her hate list for now. "Oh you know, the usual. Metal dragons, archimedes spheres, and about half a dozen armed turrets watching over your current position. Purely precautionary, I assure you," he responded, falling quickly into the familiar banter.

"Oh is that so?" she said, before dissolving into the shadows and reappearing right before one of his turrets near the forest. She looked at the machine curiously, before her eyes locked onto the camera. She winked playfully, bringing her hand up to her mouth and blowing a kiss into the lens. "Like this one?"

Leo was about to respond when Nico appeared besides her again, this time grabbing her roughly by the collar of her shirt and slamming her into the ground. Persephone had the wind knocked out of her, but otherwise didn't look bothered by the action. She leaned up to Nico and whispered in his ear, "You know, if you like it rough you should've just told me. You may be my cousin, but hey I'm not the one pinning you to the ground."

Nico let go of her, disgust clear on his face as he straightened himself out. Persephone just lay there on the ground giggling. She moved her hands to rest by her side, letting out an exaggerated sigh. "I love it when the family gets back together!" she exclaimed randomly, breaking into another fit of laughter.

Nico was having none of it, drawing his sword and swinging it at the down Persephone. She rolled to side to dodge and quickly got back on her feet. "You dare mock us after all you've done," Nice growled, his voice rising with each word. "You have the audacity to return here after the atrocities you've committed! You killed my boyfriend for Zeus's sake! Tell me why we shouldn't kill you where you stand!"

"Aw I didn't know you cared Nico," Persephone replied nonchalant. During their conversation, Annabeth and Jason returned to Nico's side. "And I can give you two reasons as to why you can't kill me. The first is that everything I've done has been in self-defense. Second is quite simple, you can't beat me."

Nico roared and charged, and Annabeth futilely tried to grab his arm to stop him. Jason let out a short growl before stepping in to fight Persephone himself. Persephone sidestepped Nico's leading stab, making no move herself to attack. Nico kept moving forwards, becoming a veritable blur of darkness as he swung his stygian iron sword at his cousin again and again. However, Nico was unable to land a single blow. Persephone was more agile, deftly weaving between his strikes in a graceful dance. Leo was tempted to warn her when Jason joined in the fray, aiming a strike at her flank.

His warning was proved unnecessary as Persephone's staff appeared in her hands, blocking both of her cousins swords. Jason and Nico pressed down on her, trying to pin her to the ground. Persephone spun, sending both boys tumbling past her and smacking their rears as they passed for good measure.

Nico growled again, stabbing it into the ground. Seriously, Leo thought, what is with him and the growling? Leo rolled his eyes as Nico made a gesture with his hands and the undead rose from the ground to assist him. "Those aren't gonna help," murmured Leo under his breath.

True to his assumption, Persephone simply arched an eyebrow before blurring into the shadows. The zombie warriors fell as if by an invisible hand, and Persephone appeared again, staff poised to strike, as the last one collapsed into the earth. The daughter of Poseidon looked menacing as the world sunk into twilight. The very atmosphere seemed to darken around her, an oppressive chill running down Leo's spine despite his distance away.

(`)(')

Persephone was annoyed, no scratch that. She was livid. She was willing to leave in relative peace, without fighting against any of the demigods, but Nico's flaw was getting the better of him once again. Deflecting another strike from Nico as he began his assault anew after she easily defeated his undead warriors, Persephone's anger grew.

You know, whispered a voice in Persephone's ear, you could just show them who's in charge.

The daughter of Poseidon dutifully ignored the voice. It had been with her since Tartarus and she assumed it would just be with her forever. While she found it annoying, that's all it ever was to her, an annoyance. Speaking of annoyances...

Nico moved to stab at her midsection with his blade, but Persephone sidestepped it and grabbed his wrist. With a quick twist, his blade dropped out of his hands as he dropped to his knees as to avoid breaking his wrist. Persephone glared down at him, her eyes blazing. "You know," she began. "I trained you and a lot of people here with the sword, fought alongside almost everyone here. I'm no daughter of Athena, but I can observe all of your fighting styles for strengths and weaknesses."

"You were always so aggressive, all that anger you harbored within yourself," she stated, staring into him. She closed her eyes, and when she opened them they were back to their normal emerald shade. "You used your fatal flaw and turned it into a weapon, an admirable feat, but then you began to use it as a crutch. You didn't think of the tide of battle, or strategies, all you thought was attack. In this, I failed you, as a once friend and teacher, and for that I am sorry."

"You were like a brother to me, and I would've burned the world for you," she said solemnly, closing her eyes once again. But that was then, and this is now. O' how the world changes. When she reopened her eyes, a furious flame burned in them once more. "And in return all I get is a dagger in the back."

With Nico still at her mercy, she snapped his wrist in one fluid motion, causing him to cry out in pain. With the injury of his partner, Jason tried to take advantage of Persephone's distraction and aimed a blow for her legs. Lightning danced around his body and the winds swirled around him in a storm, his blows coming in faster and faster. Two can play at that game Grace, Persephone thought with a smirk.

Matching Jason's speed, Persephone felt the area around her super-charge as she began her own personal hurricane. Hurricane met tornado in a storm, the world around them bending as two of the children of the big three used their powers to fight. Jason flung lightning at her, and she would either dodge out of the way or deflect it with a stream of water. He hacked and slashed with his sword, the force behind each move augmented by his wind powers.

Persephone grinned inside her personal storm, parrying Jason's blows and throwing a few of her own out against him. Jason was a powerful opponent, and was highly skilled in using his gladius. However, while his style was great at combating single opponents, it lacked the versatility to combat multiple opponents.

Deciding that she wanted to end this and leave, after all night had already fallen. Persephone willed her hurricane to dissipate and stood still. Jason was temporarily confused, but tried to capitalize by slashing at her midsection. When the sword made contact, Persephone's figure disappeared in a vortex of shadows.

Allowing herself to be fully immersed in the power of Night, Persephone allowed multiple shadow clones of herself to engage Jason. A trick she hadn't used since she fought Ares, but it yielded the same result. Jason lay bruised on the ground, groaning in pain. She left him in better shape than the war god, not wanting another demigod death on her hands, but still made sure he wasn't going to be getting up.

During their fight, a crowd had once again formed around her. With a sigh, she just waved her hand at them dismissively. "I'll be going now," she said, her body fading into the darkness around her, beginning to shadow travel elsewhere.

Just as she was about to fully disappear when a searing pain pierced through her lower abdomen. Looking down, she saw the end of a bronze dagger sticking out of her. Whirling around, nearly blind from the pain, she felt the dagger slide out of her as she came eye to eye with Annabeth Chase. The daughter of Athena raised her dagger once more, tears streaking down her eyes, and brought it down on the injured daughter of Poseidon.

But Persephone had already dissipated into darkness.

A/N: So yeah… I'm sorry? I'm a terrible person I know for making everyone wait this long for an update with this story. Excuses are pointless, but I'll give a few anyways. Life has been… difficult, I could say. I won't bore anyone with the details, but writing for me is one of my few vents for getting things out of my own head. It's a crutch for me when the world goes sour for a longer period then I'd like. Right now, stress is high for me, and friends are running lower than I'd prefer. I literally wrote about 3,500 of the words in this chapter in a day, while the rest took me over a month. Each time I have gotten one of these writing sprees has been during a less than stellar moment in my life, but the support I receive from this site has helped more than any subpar words that I use can describe.

On a more positive note, I have reached 75 reviews! Woohoo! I'm almost at 500 followers, and close to 400 favorites. The shear quantity of people who have read my measly writings is astounding to me. I only can hope to have helped everyone of you with something, whether it is a temporary escape from the real world, or a laugh or smile that was much needed. This is the longest chapter I have written so far, sitting at about 5,000 words unedited. Thank you to everyone who has made my motivation for this story possible. I won't give any promise as to when the exact date of the next update will be, but I will continue to work on this project.

-CP Nightshade


	9. Chapter 9

"_You need chaos in your soul to give birth to a dancing star."_

_~ Friedrich Nietzsche_

Usually, darkness didn't bother Persephone. She thrived when shadows fell around her and night descended, but the darkness around her was different. It was primal, raw, unrefined. It was not a darkness that is found on Earth, where light simply does not hit a certain area. No, this was the darkness that existed in the absence of light, absolute and unyielding, the place she only glimpsed briefly when she utilized shadow travelling.

Persephone felt the darkness around her stir, and then she felt a consciousness near her. It remained a distance away, skirting around the edge of her senses, observing her. Persephone made to move, but quickly stopped herself as a wave of agony washed over her senses. She clutched her midsection, her hands coming into contact with something warm and sticky as the smell of iron pierced her nose.

_Shit_, Persephone though. Panic was starting to gnaw its was into her mind. Being suspended in the shadowlands was not somewhere she wanted to be. Despite her control over shadows and night, she had no power here. This inky oblivion was territory for another being, and one that Persephone was in no rush to encounter.

Another presence shifted in the void, joining the original. A third, a fourth, and soon there were too many beings around her for her to count. Her eyes were useless here, and her only salvation was her blessing from Nyx allowing her to connect to the darkness around her. The presences approached her, and her normal senses picked up the first sign of danger.

The creatures, whatever they were, reeked a profound scent. It overpowered the smell of her blood, replacing it with the scent of decay and something akin to pesticide. Then there was the sound, the gods awful sounds these creature emitted made Persephone want to curl into a ball and weep. They cried in such agony and despair that it overwhelmed all other senses. To Persephone, the best way to inadequately describe it was to compare it to the wails of a mourning child, amplified by the agonized screams of a mother losing her children, and accented by the maniacal laughter and threatening growls.

The noise stirred a terror almost forgotten in Persephone's heart. After Tartarus, she believed there was no place which could inspire any terror similar to the Pit. But these creatures evoked a similar feeling of helplessness that the River Cocytus created. The worst part however, was that Persephone could not tell if she was moving or not. She flailed her limbs, and it she felt her body twist in the air, as if she was suspended in an area without gravity. She felt nothing beneath her, just the unending oblivion that comprised this realm of despair.

Ignoring the crippling wound in her stomach, she reached for Riptide in her pocket and summoned. The altered Anaklusmos sprang forth as she uncapped it, the light from both the soul stone's power and the celestial bronze shown faintly in this realm. The beings hissed, retreating from the faint source of light. Persephone saw flashes of these creatures, humanoid, wraith like creatures with gaping maws set upon eyeless faces covered in a sheer grey hide. They retreated from the light, remaining just outside of its illumination.

The staff however, felt quite different then from what it was in the mortal world. Here it thrummed with power, seeming the gain a life of its own in this lightless world. Pulses of umbral energy ran across it and up her arm, feeding her adrenaline and giving her strength to hold both her weapons against these fiendish wraiths.

With the faint hope shining from her sword, she took in her surroundings. Despite the new illumination, the world that surrounded her was darkness so absolute that it could only be referred to as a tangible. The glow created a spherical haven from this encroaching void, but still she found no solid surface under her feet and no way to tell if she could even move. The wound in her stomach was slowly sapping her strength, and she fought to combat the darkness threatening to take her mind.

In desperation, she tried to use her powers to shadow travel out from this accursed place, but found herself unable to fade. She kept trying until a dark chuckle reverberated throughout the realm. "_Archidia me louloudia!_" Persephone cursed in Greek, dreading the source of that voice. As a last ditch effort for salvation, she sent a prayer to Nyx. Her patron and her did not communicate much, but Nyx had offered the daughter of Poseidon haven when traversing the Pit. However, Nyx made it clear that eventually she would have to pay the Primordial being back at a time of her choosing. Right now though, Persephone didn't care if she had to stack another debt with Night. She needed to leave this nightmare.

_M'lady_, she prayed, _I beseech of you to assist me. I have wondered into the realm of he who is closest to you, yet I believe there to be no salvation in his relation to you. Offer me haven once more, and I shall owe another debt to you, Lady Night, to be fulfilled at a time of your determination._

However, before any response could be determined, a voice pierced the darkness. "It has been many years since a mortal has entered the core of my realm," came the powerful voice. It carried upon its sound such unadulterated power she had not felt since being in the presence of Tartarus or Gaia. The very darkness around her seemed to ripple as the being spoke. "Tell me, little creature, what brings you here to this heart of darkness?"

The voice sent cold shivers down her spine, the whole world upon she now stood - well, stood being relative - seemed to fulfill every fear of the darkness humanity had ever dreamt. The very essence of the unknown seemed to linger in the air, the power which caused mortal children to fear what lies beneath their bed and inside their closet. This realm, this shadowland, was derived of everything humanity seemed too afraid to confront. This being which embodied the darkness was playing with her, allowing her fear of what it might do with her at it's mercy.

"'Twas an accident, mi'lord," began Persephone politely, attempting to hold the utmost respect for the being around her. Courtesy never came naturally to Persephone, perhaps that's why she had made so many deities dislike her. "I meant simply to skirt along the edges to escape-"

"Pah!" shouted the voice, the darkness around her trembling. The darkness continued to tremble, and Persephone thought it was about to attack her and prepared Anaklusmos. When the rumbling continued and nothing happened, Persephone lowered her sword in confusion. The rumbling seemed to come in a slight pattern, almost like it was-

"You're laughing at me?" Persephone half shouted. She shut her mouth instantly, hoping not to possibly offend the being before anymore than she might have already.

"Why of course young Persephone!" boomed the voice.

_Great, it knows my name, _thought the daughter of Poseidon. _Why do all powerful and possibly evil beings know my name?_

"It would be rude of me to not recognize the chosen of my spouse after all, darkness and night are not all too different after all," continued the being.

It clicked. It was obvious, and she had her suspicions to begin with, but now she had all the confirmation she needed to identify the being. It didn't quell her uneasiness though. "Erebus," Persephone said, satisfied that she could finally say who a deity was without introduction. "I must say I've met almost half your family at this point."

"And so it seems, you do manage to find yourself in quite a few conundrums after all," stated Erebus matter of factly. "But my question remains unanswered, why are you here?"

Persephone paused, contemplating telling the primordial. It would be useless to lie, he'd just sense it and probably get pissed off about it. "I was at Camp Half-Blood, retrieving my sword here," she began, applying pressure to her wound to staunch as much blood as she could. With a grimace se continued, "I needed it for a mission of mine, and I found that I was still hated as much as I was originally. I used non-lethal force to subdue them, but was stabbed in the back when I tried to shadow travel away. I guess in my wounded state I lost my destination and came here."

Erebus hummed in acknowledgment, and if he was in a physical form, then Persephone imagined that he would be stroking his chin. "Interesting, very interesting," he said. "I see no reason to keep you here, and I also do not want the ire of my dearest wife either. I will send you on your way, though I offer you a warning."

Persephone tensed, knowing that if a primordial offered you a warning you were foolish to ignore it. "Gaia was one of the few of my kin who fell into the long sleep. Most of us are like me, choosing to simply live our lives inside our domains, taking no direct interest in the affairs of mortals. However, some, like my wife, have chosen to champion a being as their direct link into the mortal world."

Alarm bells rang in Persephone's head. "There are more like me?"

Erebus chuckled, "Not exactly like you, no. But there are others in the world who have my kin at their backs. And other powers are awakening, so do take care. I don't want my wife to be upset, so take care not to die."

Persephone was about to respond to him, but instead found herself standing on top of a building, the familiar New York skyline temporarily captivating her in its brilliance. It was dusk, and the natural orange and purple hue of the falling sun blended with the lights of the city. A harmonic and deceitful view of the possible beauty of the world.

After taking in the sunset, Persephone's eyes drifted towards the obtrusively bright capital _A_ in the distance. The Avengers tower stood slightly shorter than its surrounding building, barely making itself present in the New York skyline. A smirk flitted across her face, as she remembered that she had scheduled an appointment with a certain bunch of super heroes.

She moved towards the ledge of the building, taking in her actual location. She was a few blocks away from her apartment, and just a little bit farther away from the Avengers tower in the opposite direction. She was about to shadow travel when she felt a something sticky attach itself to her face. Pink filled her vision, as whatever stuck to her forehead blinded her. In a startled panic, she grabbed the object off her head.

A bright pink post-it note sat crumpled in her hand. The pink was offensively bright, inspiring the blessed of Nyx to glare at it. Unfolding it, she read the crumpled words on the adhesive paper.

_Hope you enjoyed your stay in my realm, feel free to stop by every now and then. Also, you're welcome for healing that hole in your stomach. Nasty stuff, those wounds made by divine metal. Also, I thought your wardrobe could use an upgrade, the jeans/hoodie combo is quite outdated, and that's coming from someone who checks up on the mortal realm about once every decade._

_Your favorite (after my dearest wife of course),_

_Erebus_

Blinking rapidly, Persephone read the note to make sure she wasn't misreading. "Did he really just send me a message via a sticky note to the face?" she murmured in disbelief. "And a pink one nonetheless. Really enforcing the 'Primordial of Darkness' there aren't you bub?"

Another sticky note smacked her in the face, causing her to stumble back with a noise of surprise. As she stumbled, she tripped over a box that wasn't there before. Groaning in discomfort, she peeled the note off her face, still laying on the uncomfortable roof.

_I'll contact you however you please, thank you very much. And I'll have you know pink is a very masculine color! The disrespect of some people, I swear. I even gave you new clothes too! Learn some manners for Fate's sake._

She snorted after she read the last note, rolling her eyes and murmuring a quick thank you under her breath. Sitting up, she grabs the box that she tripped over. It was solid black, lidded, and made of seemingly lightweight metal. Lifting up the lid, she picked the lid and grinned. Inside was an assortment of clothes, varying shades grey, navy, green, blue, and black. Atop it all sat a lone pink post-it, a few words scribbled in it.

_This is a gift from my dear wife, she is tired of your running around looking like a vagabond. She also says to accessorize the weapon she bestowed upon you._

Persephone rifled through the seemingly endless box, and found her new outfit swiftly. Not caring that she was on some random roof, she changed swiftly. Off came her ruined hoodie and undershirt, leaving her only in a plain black bra and scarred skin. The pail white lines contrasted with the darkness of her skin, countless stories of loss, suffering, and pyrrhic victories. Persephone grabbed a dark, sea green, silk dress shirt, quickly pulling it around her shoulders and buttoning up the front. Next was a black, woman's suit jacket buttoned only once in the front.

She took Anaklusmos out of her jeans pocket, holding the pen before her. It was odd, owing her life to something so simple. The pen sword was a very poetic way to flip the bird to those who said the pen is mightier than the sword. It also has saved her life more times than any one object should. With an appreciative smile, she placed the pen in the front pocket of her jacket, right above her heart.

Next came her jeans, she shimmied out of them before quickly pulling on a pair of slim, black dress pants. Then she pulled on some socks and a simple pair of black flats, because she may be good, but there was no way in Hades she would be able to fight in heels. Last was the jewelry. Two pairs of exquisite studs, silver framing with bright emeralds, one going in each ear. A silver, non-magical watch went around her wrist.

Normally Persephone would scoff at anyone who told her how you dress would affect your self image, but she couldn't help but smile at how she knew she looked. Pulling out a brush from the depths of the magical box, she moved her hair over to one side, allowing her inky waves to cascade down slightly past her shoulder. If the world wanted her to be some powerful and manipulative villain, she might as well as dress like she was in control instead of another street rat.

Standing tall, she thought back to the last thing mentioned in Erebus's notes. Her staff had faded away when she left the Primordial's domain. She summoned it to her, it reappearing in her hand, yet different than the last time it existed among the mortal world. Where it used to be an icy, solid black staff which radiated darkness, it now appeared to be a long rod of rolling, amorphous nighttide. The chilling presence was stronger, and the darkness it radiated seemed to curl off the weapon as a midnight fog and softly caressing her bare hands.

_Normally when I think of altering something's appearance magically, all it takes is picturing something in my head,_ the Mantle of Nyx thought. Humming under her breath, she continued, _what do I want it to be? What would be great for the cliché villain? Oh, got it! Now let's hope this works._

Persephone focused her intent on the staff, feeling the darkness within it respond to her will. The weapon shifted in her grasp, turning from a six foot long staff and into a stylish, Stygian walking cane. The kind that she remembered seeing cartoon villains and over dramatized antagonists wield in movies. She gave it an experimental twirl, finding it to her liking. The grip was slightly perpendicular to the actual cane, allowing for her to rest her hand either atop it or grasp underneath it to use it as a cudgel.

A feral grin spread over her face, yet despite the near perfection of the outfit it was missing one last touch, the _je ne sais quoi_. Reaching into the box one last time, she rifled through it until she found the object she desired. Rotating on one finger, she quickly spun the black fedora and placed it on her head. She tilted it slightly, before striking a ridiculous pose and laughing softly to herself.

"Oh yes, this will do. This will do most nicely," she said to herself. She quickly put the lid back on the box, then jumped slightly as it disappeared from sight. Another pink post it note fluttered in the air above where it used to be. She snatched it swiftly, "It'll be waiting for you back at your place. Please do enjoy it, and remind these mortals of their folly. Nyx."

She looked up at the now pitch black sky. "Thanks m'lady, and don't you worry. They'll never see me coming." Glancing at her watch, she continued, "If you'll excuse me, I'm late for a very entertaining meeting." And with that, she shadow traveled into the Avengers Tower.

(')(')

Thor was perplexed at what he should do. Normally, the Greeks wanted to stay out of any and all mortal affairs. Then, Persephone Jackson is taken into S.H.I.E.L.D. custody and everything goes topsy turvy. More demigods showed up, apparently hunting her down. They seemed intent to hide their pantheon's existence, and Thor did not want to deal with the headache that would come if decided to be the one to expose them.

His brother was here on the orders of his father, to appease the Midgardians desire for his punishment. While he was powerless in the literal sense of things, Loki was not known as silver tongue for no reason. He used his words to agitate the thunder god, and worked on fraying the nerves of the rest of the Avengers who were already primed to explode after the demigods escaped.

Sighing as he walked down the hall, Thor pinched the bridge of his nose. He stopped outside of their main lounge area, hearing music playing under the door. He didn't recognize the genre. Thor had to give these mortals credit to their artistic capabilities. Especially in music. To create such variety and beautiful, interesting music in only a few centuries was phenomenal.

However, that isn't what caused him pause. He knew what most of the others listened to in terms of music. Learned their genre's and the key signs to recognize them. Stark liked so called classic rock, the electric guitar and thrilling atmosphere harmonious with the Man of Iron's character. The Widow enjoyed classical music, the symphonies especially. Clint liked country, and to quote "not the falling in love with my tractor kind of country," whatever that means. Considering the sound of brass instruments, those three were ruled out.

Banner never listened to music without the use of headphones, seemingly intent on shutting out the world through song. That left Steven. The music was by far the closest to his, though the Captain never listened to music at this volume. Acting on his suspicion, and hoping he wasn't developing paranoia, the norse god opened up the door softly and entered the lounge.

The sound of piano, percussion, and saxophone filled the lounge room, with was nearly empty, except for the soul person sitting on the couch by the window, staring out the window to the skyline. "_When you feel your bones are shaking, and your temperature is arising…"_ The lyrics melded into the instruments, and the figure's head bobbed with the beat of the song as he approached her.

Her hair shone darkly behind one shoulder, a black hat sat upon her head. As he neared, he saw that she had her legs crossed primly before her, and one hand rested gracefully upon a cane while the other elegantly tipped a glass of dark, red wine to her lips. She put down the glass, before looking over her shoulder slightly at Thor and smiling.

"Greeting my Norse friend! Come, sit with me! I can pour you a glass of this wonderful Malbec. Tony has such a wonderful liquor collection, it is truly magnificent," she said enthusiastically, patting the seat beside her and grabbing an empty glass on the table before her. She poured the alcoholic liquid and handed the wine glass to Thor who took it in a numb shock. "Come on now, I won't bite. Unless you're into that kind of thing of course."

Still surprised at her appearance and flirtatious behaviour, Thor silently sat down beside her. Somehow, this demigoddess made him feel inadequate in his current garb. The flannel shirt was stretched over his bulky frame, and the jeans fit snugly on his legs. His normally did not care for such petty value that so many put into their appearance, preferring to instead judge one's worth on the battlefield. However, after facing her in combat he knew to respect her, the Greek had earned her stories and fame.

"Why are you here, daughter of the seas?" Thor questioned, his curiosity peeking through his shock. It was an honest question, something to hopefully reveal her intentions.

"Why, to simply offer my help and information," she said to him, a corner of her mouth twitching up. "But first, I'd like to talk with you."

Thor raised a questioning eyebrow, signalling for her to continue. "What have you told them about me if anything? How much are they aware of my and my kins existence?"

"I've told them nothing, despite their queries. I believe they originally thought you an Asgardian, due to the fact that I recognized you," he said, telling her of the discussions that occurred in the tower days ago. "Now however, they do not believe so after three of your fellow half gods burst in offering information on you. However, they were alarmed by something and fled through the shadows, consolidating the belief that they have relations with you."

After processing the information, the woman muttered, "Lovely." She raised her voice to normal levels to continue. "Thank you for holding back information regarding who I am, it permits me to see the shock on their faces myself."

Thor was floored once more, she planned to expose herself? "You wish to tell them of your world? Why? And how do you plan on getting them all in the same room and peacefully?"

She emptied the glass of wine in her hand before putting it down on the table. She raised one hand and held up a sole finger. "First, I think I just said I'll be telling them about my world," she said, before continuing, raising a finger for each point. "Second, because things are happening, and the Olympians or their children will not seek aid until it is too late. I strive to not make their mistakes. Lastly, well, peacefully is relative. And has for how they're gonna all be in the same room…"

A cheshire grin spread across her face as she stood with her hand still raised. She walked to the other side of the table and turned to face Thor and the door. Then, she started to tick her fingers down. _Three… Two… One… Bam!_ The doors to the lounge slammed open, and Thor turned around to see the aggravated Avengers plus a violent Fury and stoney Hill.

Persephone's grin grew as she twirled her cane and grabbed her hat before bowing at the waist like a performer. Standing, she said in quite the ostentatious and grandiose voice, "Welcome, friends and foes! To the one and only Persephone story time! I am your host, the one, the only, Persephone Jackson!"

Thor could only stare at the woman, who began to laugh hysterically. The Avengers only primed their weapons and continue aiming them at her. She quickly sobered up, shift her cane to grip it by the opposite end and pointing the handle at assembled group before her with a smirk on her face as she teased them:

"Y'all are no fun, I swear."

**A/N: Hello all! Thank you for allowing me to reach over 500 followers and 400 favorites. We're well on our way to 100 reviews and I am absolutely thrilled! This chapter was a lot of fun for me to write, and I gotta say I had some helluva inspiration when it came to certain choices. Cookies to anyone who can guess what songs those lyrics are from when Thor walks into the room! **

**Thank you all so very much for your support, y'all are the best! Your reviews and opinions are wonderful, and I'm loving the positive feedback I'm getting. Please read and review, but more importantly, enjoy!**


	10. Chapter 10

"The Word of fire burns today On the lips of our prophets in an evil age."

~Margaret Walker

Persephone and the Avengers sans Thor stood poised to fight on the drop of the pen. Suddenly, Persephone smirk and relaxed, lowering her weapon and leaning on the cane. "What is the saying?" she asked, her face adopting a façade of innocence. "The tension being so thick that you could take a knife to it? Well, the tension here would require something a lot more powerful. Like a nuke. Lots and lots of nukes."

It was the Captain who was able to respond first, "Are you-"

"Off track? Insane? Well yes, that happens you see. ADHD, torture, sleep deprivation, and general mental instability can cause that in a woman," she said, cutting him off. Her harmless visage morphed into a fierce glare leveled at them all. "Don't judge."

"Now before you ask anymore questions," she stated quickly, giving a hard look to the Avengers who were readying themselves to speak. "Can you all please lower your weapons? I kicked your asses last time, and I don't feel like dirtying my new shoes. I'm not gonna attack y'all right now, we've got things that need talkin' 'bout."

Stark opened his mouth to retort, but Persephone flicked her wrist and the remaining wine in Thor's glass flew into his mouth causing him to choke. "No talking," she said simply. "Now, I'm gonna take you all back to when this started. I was twelve." A small shadowy figure of a girl appeared with vague details. "I was on a field trip with my school at the time, some museum that I don't care to remember. Now, at first there wasn't anything special about the trip. We looked at exhibits, and ate lunch. I got in trouble, and our teacher at the time, Mrs. Dodds called me inside."

"It was then that everything went straight to hell and back," she recited. The atmosphere from the Avengers had changed from superiorly hostile to curious and attentive. A second, taller woman had appeared next to the shadow Persephone. "Before my eyes, my teacher who I believed to be a demon, turned into that very thing. A creature who knows but one master, Hades, Alecto the Fury, sent to hunt down a thief who stole her master's most prized possession."

The shadow teacher transformed into a demonic bat person. Looks of confusion passed over the faces of most present. The spies remained generally stoic, while the others had furrowed brows and creased lips. "My other teacher at the time showed up, tossing me my first weapon, Riptide, the wave which catches one unaware." A sword appeared in the shadow Persephone's hand, and the creature dived at her. "I killed the Kindly One, and from there my great 'adventure' began."

The daughter of Poseidon continued her story, telling the Avengers of her encounter with the Fates, the minotaur, the loss of her mother, and waking up at Camp Half-Blood. The mention of the camp is what Fury found very interesting. Too interesting for Persephone's taste. She described that battle during capture the flag, and then being attacked by the hellhound. All this was mimicked by her shadow self and led up to her big reveal.

"It was at this river that I discovered who I truly was, standing in the shallow water, I watched as the claw marks were healed almost instantly. Strength returned to me and a glowing trident appeared above me and I truly understood what Camp Half-Blood was for," the Mantle of Nyx paused allowing for a little bit of dramatic affect. "The trident was a symbol sent by my father, Poseidon, the Greek god of the Seas, the Earthshaker and Stormbringer, and second eldest son of Kronos."

Persephone waited, watching as the information was processed in their minds. Fury's eye open so wide he almost looked like a cyclops, Steve dropped his shield and his jaw with a heavy thud, Stark was frozen in place, Clint's arrows clattered on the ground as he moved his jaw in an up and down motion, and Natasha reminded Persephone of a puffer fish with her cheeks puffing out in a spectacular shade of red.

Persephone herself tried to maintain straight face, but failed miserably. After a few failed attempts of suppressing her laughter, she gave in and fell into a slightly hysterical fit. Leaning over her disguised weapon, she wiped away the few happy tears that had built up in her eyes. With an exaggerated sigh, she thanked the Avengers, "I haven't laughed that hard in years, thank you all. Truly, thank you."

Natasha was the first to recover and responded, "So you're just pulling our leg? Really, how'd you get your powers?"

Persephone rolled her eyes. She pulled over an armchair with the shadows, plopping down onto it and crossing her legs. Her cane moved in slow circles before as she rotated her wrists in slow, deliberate circles, her devious smirk never fading. "I ain't lying darlin', you just refuse to see the truth I have laid before you," she commented, her emerald eyes reflecting back to her, a roiling, frothing ocean reflecting back towards the assassin. "You stand in the presence of two divine beings. It has been millennia since the last true interaction between the Asgardians and the Olympians upon the mortal plane. If you doubt my claims, Thor here will back me up."

With that final claim, Persephone gestured to the wielder of Mjolnir with her cane. Thor's voice was as cold and unwavering as a Scandinavian winter, "She speaks the truth, and I would recommend against aggravating her. She was a formidable warrior prior to her disappearance, and her skills and power seem to have only grown."

Persephone made a waving motion with her hand and smirking devilishly, "Oh stop it, you'll make me blush."

"Her stories also speak of her loyalty, and the unbridled fury she can unleash upon those who betray her. She is considered as dangerous as many of the gods in her own right, for she inherited her abilities from her immortal family, but gained the adaptive and cunning mind gained through experiencing mortality," said Thor, giving her an appraising once-over. "After witnessing her fight against us, and winning quite effortlessly, any attempt to parlay and ally would be to our benefit. Especially as she did not use her most notorious weapon, Anaklusmos."

Well, that's unexpected, Persephone thought in regards to the praise she was receiving. Thor's pronunciation of the Greek name of her sword was slightly painful, but she could forgive him of that. He was vouching for her, encouraging the Avengers to at least consider brokering some sort of deal with her.

"Okay…" said Steve slowly, as he finally regained control of his jaw. "I believe you, but I have one question. Why come to us? You could've escaped easily from what I witnessed, evading us and quite possibly losing us completely. So what made you return?"

Persephone leaned back in the chair, the playful visage disappearing. Her sea-green eyes sharpening into hard cut emeralds as she stared down Steve with a calculating gaze. She smiled, and it was a painful smile, filled with hidden exhaustion and haunting promises. Steve knew that smile, for he had seen it countless times on the front lines during the war.

"It's because my world is not quieting. Despite the defeat of some of the most ancient enemies to the gods and mortals, the activity from my pantheon has only increased. Primordials long thought faded are stirring from eons of slumber, and they are not pleased with what has become of the world they helped shape," Persephone warned, her voice soft, but with that hard edge of anger. "Fortunately, the Fates and Ancient Laws are binding them, rendering them unable to directly interfere with our world. However, they have found a loophole. They have chosen mortals, somehow devout to them, and blessed them with their power. They represent the raw powers of nature, and are likely to be quite proficient in combat."

The demigoddess was quiet, contemplative, before continuing, "The potential destruction one of these mantles can cause simply by willing it is unprecedented, yet they will not attack."

"How do you know this?" questioned Clint with only traces of hostility in his voice. Curiosity was winning out, as was apprehension. All of them were regarding her with a more cautious look, as if understanding better the threat lay before them.

Good, Persephone thought forlornly. They need to understand what's coming. At least a little.

"Because I am one of them," Persephone voice became hard as steel. She stood, the very darkness around her snapping with energy. Many of their eyes widened. "I am the Mantle of Night, chosen of Nyx, and with but a wisp of a thought could send half the continent into an eternal night."

Okay, bit of an exaggeration, she thought. It would take a crap ton of energy, probably like two-hundred pizzas worth, and I'd probably not be able to do anything while I maintained it.

"I am the first of the Mantles, just as Nyx was the first born from Chaos," she stated. "And I am not only Mantle, but a demigoddess to boot. The domains of Poseidon answer to my call, and my control has only improved with the gaining of new power. Nyx does not wish the reversion of the world, as she has witnessed its proceedings for millennia. Same with her husband Erebus, the embodiment of darkness. Gaia was just recently defeated, so she is most likely out of the way. However, I can almost guarantee that Tartarus is scheming."

The very room seemed to freeze and burn simultaneously, causing many of the Avengers to shiver and look around the room. "J.A.R.V.I.S., what the hell was that?" asked the inventor.

"I cannot deduce the cause of such unique temperature fluctuations sir," came the disembodied voice. Persephone grimaced, knowing the implications of such an occurrence.

"I know what happened," she stated. All attention was returned to her, as the assembled waited attentively. "The Pit has sensed his mention, and his senses have turned upon us. It is all the proof I need to that he is orchestrating something, for he is unhappy with myself personally, as well as with the Olympians."

She moved towards the windows, turning her back to the super heroes. "Today was my warning to you all, for you have the power to protect so many. It will be years for Tartarus to gather his strength, as he was set back with the defeat of Gaia," she stated, the energetic and playful Persephone was completely gone now. Now stood the leader, the woman who was forced to bear the burden of responsibility once again. "I will be thinning his numbers the best I can throughout the world, and gathering as much information as I can. You should do your best to prepare, I don't know how, but try. I will come and see you all when things are escalating once again."

With those words, she left a stunned batch of Avengers watching her as she seemed to walk through the window, her form dissolving into darkness until she was completely gone. Tony was the first to recover, saying, "I need a drink, anyone else want a drink? Because I am having a drink. Probably five."

(')(')

Reyna could sense that something was off, she had for months. And it was reinforced when she got wind from the Greeks that Persephone had returned. Reyna never understood what had happened, all she knew was that Will Solace was dead, and that Anaklusmos seemed… corrupted. Apparently, things on the East Coast were more exciting than the West, but Reyna wouldn't complain. Their problems are their own.

Right now, Camp Jupiter was functioning with relative peace. She an Frank worked well together, Frank being the more patient and sympathetic half of the Praetorship while Reyna was the disciplinarian. Things were well, with no war at the moment and their eagle, all should be well. But that feeling in her gut never left Reyna, and she would trust it unconditionally.

She was sitting in the Praetors office in the Principia, going over some paperwork for the Legion, a pointless formality in her opinion, but sadly necessary. After the war with Gaia those years ago, things had calmed severely. However, neither Frank nor herself were inclined to lessen everyone's training. The casualties of the war were proof that they were unprepared for high levels of combat, even with the assistance of their eagle.

The sound of the door opening made her look up, seeing her co-praetor walking towards his desk that was adjacent to hers. He seemed particularly disgruntled, and that was typically reserved for the daughter of Bellona.

"Everything okay Zhang?" Reyna asked, a slight tone of concern in her voice. Very rarely did he show any negative emotion, having been one of the Seven and in a steady and happy relationship with Miss Levesque.

"Things have been better," he said grumpily. "Hazel is out with Arion at the moment, and I received a notice from the Temple of Jupiter."

Temple of Jupiter? Reyna thought. No one was summoned there unless the augur had received a vision regarding them, or in case of a praetor, if the Legion was at risk. After the "unfortunate" death of Octavian, it had taken almost a year for the new augur. The new augur was a girl of about twelve years old. She was a daughter of Apollo, with bright blonde hair and blue eyes that had a depth that conveyed her ability of foresight. She had helped welcome a few new members, but otherwise had not declared anything negative for the Legion.

"Was it Callie?" Reyna asked, setting her pen down for the moment, referring to the young augur.

Frank's eyes were turbulent when he nodded in affirmation. "She said she saw something big, bigger than she'd ever witnessed," his voice was solemn, a graveness set down on Reyna's shoulders as he continued. The words were distorted and mostly it was just image, but four lines were pretty distinct."

"Children born of mortal and immortal, bearers of the mantle primordial, Night and Day come out to play, at the whims of Fate's protogé…" Frank quoted, allowing the words to sink in before continuing. "She said she saw the world drowned in abyssal darkness, while the other half burned in a luminescent fire. She saw five figures, two in the darkness and two in the light."

"The two in the light was a boy and a girl. The girl was small, possibly young, with eyes of vermillion fire and wings of light from her back. Callie said she wielded a bow that was unlike any other, bladed and fierce, with arrows of scorching light," Frank recited. "The boy was older, and wielded a massive, golden greatsword. His hair was blonde as well, and eyes the burned azure."

Frank moved over to his desk and sat on top of it. Reyna hadn't seen him this shaken since they trekked through the Mare Nostrum. He continued, "Callie described the two figures in the night. One was a man, face void of all features, as if it was the abyss given human form. On his hands were claws of scarlet and ebony flame. The second figure wielded a staff of pure midnight, and a sword that glowed in a verdant blaze. Her hair was darker than pitch, and eyes an emerald inferno."

"Lastly, she said she saw a figure shrouded in fog, standing at the axis of night and day.

Reyna was both impressed and perturbed by Callie's description. It seemed very Apollo in nature, with the artistic description of each person. It was also clear that this was more than just reading entrails. Apollo had granted her a glimpse into the future, a seer was a rare thing for Camp Jupiter, but it was a blessing of few equals to Reyna.

"Tell Callie I would like to speak with her, and up the training for all Cohorts. Recall all the retired Legionnaires, and announce that there will be an emergency Senate meeting tomorrow at noon," Reyna ordered, and Frank nodded. He met her eyes briefly, and Reyna saw no joy in them. The prospect of yet another war, one of primeval powers, did not sit comfortably with either of them. Especially not after the close call with Gaia.

Frank left with urgency in his steps, Reyna sighed before slamming her fist onto her desk in rage. Another gods damn war, she thought.

Then it hit her. That one description of one of the nighttime beings. The girl fought with a staff, and a sword. She knew someone who had glowing green eyes, and fought with shadows and staff. The bigger question to Reyna, was whether or not Persephone Jackson was friend or foe?

(')(')

Jason Grace lay unconscious in the big house, still recovering from the brutal defeat he received at the hands of the daughter of Poseidon. While he looked peaceful but damaged to his girlfriend Piper who sat next to his bead, his dreams were not so simple.

He was standing amidst clouds and stars, a swirling vortex descending below him towards a place he clearly recognized. The ruins of Mount Othrys were mere specks beneath his feet, and Mount Tamalpais lay before the San Francisco skyline. Jason scowled and was confused, he had to be miles above the ground for everything to seem so small. He didn't ever fly this high because the air became more wild and untamable. So how did he get up here?

"Calm yourself, young hero," a voice commanded, and a man stood next to Jason, standing at nearly eight feet tall and radiating a level of power that he had never felt before. He was bald, strikingly so, but his eyes are what silence Jason's scathing retort. "I am here to offer you something that I believe you will accept."

Jason was wary, beings that felt like this never did anything freely. He voiced his concern, "Why would I accept anything from a stranger in a dream?"

The being chuckled, "Because I can give you an edge on Persephone Jackson. Put you on equal footing so to speak."

Jason stared at him critically, seeing if he could derive the beings purpose from him. "What is the cost?"

The being grinned, and his teeth were as white as the pearliest clouds. "Why it is simple, you must kill Persephone Jackson."

Jason looked temporarily stunned, before a matching grin adorned his face. "Deal," he said, sticking out his hand to the being.

"Wonderful," said the bald man, clasping Jason's hand and giving it a firm shake. Power began to flood through the son of Jupiter. "Absolutely wonderful."

A/N: Here is the next chapter, and Reyna has great questions don't you think? Who are the other figures? Hmmm, I don't know myself. That's a lie of course, I always know. And you all are smart and can definitely figure out one more too. If you've got your own questions, feel free to review, PM, or just contemplate silently. Your choice.

In other news, this story has broken 100 reviews! Woot! And we have almost 600 followers too. I'm super shocked honestly, didn't think that many people would like it. But hey, I won't complain!

And if any of you all like Imagine Dragons, who has any idea if they're coming out with a new album? I love Believer and Thunder, and hope they're making more like them.

Review responses:

ViperTimeline: Hope you haven't been hospitalized by your mom.

Plasmadon: Dude, I'm trying to keep my weight down, I don't need that many cookies.

: Thanks, I love her too. She's a good creation.

2NE1ANGEL: That's the song! And the sticky notes were pretty fun to write.

Lunasky99: But is she a bad guy?

Auspicious Orangutan: First of all, love the name. Second, I would love writing bigger chapters, but I'm so inconsistent with my motivation that a year long wait would be short for each chapter.

Divine Protector of Skyrim: Are you the Dovahkiin? And there you go, your metaphorical picture of their faces!


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